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Where the Line Bleeds

By: Jesmyn Ward
Narrated by: Myra Lucretia Taylor
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Publisher's summary

A stunning debut novel from Jesmyn Ward, Where the Line Bleeds is a rich tale of twins raised by their grandmother in a stiflingly poor rural community on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. Upon graduating from high school, growing tensions between brothers Joshua and Christophe test their loyalties—and a violent altercation forever changes their lives.

©2008 Jesmyn Ward (P)2010 Recorded Books, LLC
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Critic reviews

"Too ashamed to admit that he spends his days in the park selling marijuana, Christophe secretly contributes to the family's expenses with regular deposits to his grandmother's purse. But when Christophe decides to start selling more dangerous drugs, tensions between the twins grow, and the arrival of their long-absent drug addict father sparks a violent confrontation. A fresh new voice in American literature, Ward unflinchingly describes a world full of despair but not devoid of hope." ( Publishers Weekly)

Featured Article: Must-Hear Contemporary Black Women Authors


It’s a fact that a high percentage of the best books that have come out in this century have been written by Black women authors. (Truth be told, there are so many excellent works that this list could simply centered on the best contemporary authors and still be accurate.) Nevertheless, Black women’s stories deserve to be heard, and when the stories are this compelling, this engaging, and this beautifully written, they’re impossible to ignore.

What listeners say about Where the Line Bleeds

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  • Overall
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    3 out of 5 stars

Ok but not very interesting

Lackluster story good performance by reader. Just ok I wouldn’t recommend it , mediocre story not very interesting.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Captivating

Sometimes it seemed to too heavy on small details, but that moved on. Lovingly rendered

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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Depression..

It was sad boring country life at it’s best.. couldn’t live in Mississippi. Too depressing

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Very Moving

The narrator did a great job showing the raw emotion Jesmyn always portrays in her novels. Another great listen.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Slow Burn

This book dragged on and on, and after awhile, it got really old that Christophe just couldn't seem to figure out that Joshua only wanted what was best for Christophe. Jesmyn's way of describing the scenery, the town, the physical characteristics of each character, was absolutely brilliant, however. With that, I'm off to listen to Salvage the Bones.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Very Realistic

The realism of the story along with the narration stood out the most!! Excellent read!! 5 stars for me!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Great

I work and don’t have time to physically read a book. This was my first time using this app and listening to an audio book. The book had a great storyline and great characters. A must read

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Amazing Storytelling!

This is a great story about the fragility of family and how even the closest family might not be family at all. Close your eyes and the author paints the story more vivid than pictures ever could.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Great Book

I didn't want it to end. Wanted to know what the future held for Joshua and Christophe. Great story and narration.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great book!

I’ve liked each of the books I’ve read by Jesmyn Ward.
Her descriptions are elegant and really allow me to picture the characters and surroundings. You get to know and love her characters and never want the stories to end.
I definitely recommend her books!

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3 people found this helpful