Whiskey When We're Dry Audiobook By John Larison cover art

Whiskey When We're Dry

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Whiskey When We're Dry

By: John Larison
Narrated by: Sophie Amoss
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About this listen

Named a Best Book by Entertainment Weekly, O Magazine, Goodreads, Southern Living, Outside Magazine, Oprah.com, HelloGiggles, Parade, Fodor’s Travel, Sioux City Journal, Read it Forward, Medium.com, and NPR’s All Things Considered.

"A thunderclap of originality, here is a fresh voice and fresh take on one of the oldest stories we tell about ourselves as Americans and Westerners. It's riveting in all the right ways - a damn good read that stayed with me long after closing the covers." (Timothy Egan, New York Times best-selling author of The Worst Hard Time)

From a blazing new voice in fiction, a gritty and lyrical American epic about a young woman who disguises herself as a boy and heads west

In the spring of 1885, 17-year-old Jessilyn Harney finds herself orphaned and alone on her family's homestead. Desperate to fend off starvation and predatory neighbors, she cuts off her hair, binds her chest, saddles her beloved mare, and sets off across the mountains to find her outlaw brother Noah and bring him home. A talented sharpshooter herself, Jess' quest lands her in the employ of the territory's violent, capricious governor, whose militia is also hunting Noah - dead or alive.

Wrestling with her brother's outlaw identity, and haunted by questions about her own, Jess must outmaneuver those who underestimate her, ultimately rising to become a hero in her own right.

Told in Jess' wholly original and unforgettable voice, Whiskey When We're Dry is a stunning achievement, an epic as expansive as America itself - and a reckoning with the myths that are entwined with our history.

©2018 John Larison (P)2018 Penguin Audio
Coming of Age Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Westerns Heartfelt Thought-Provoking
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Critic reviews

Mulan meets Deadwood in a Wild West novel narrated by its straight-shooting heroine.” (O Magazine)

“A smooth yet bracing Western yarn that both celebrates and subverts the romance of the Old West through more complex contemporary perspectives on gender and race…. As in Charles Portis’ classic True Grit, much of the appeal of the telling hangs upon the distinct voice of its narrator, and Jesse’s narration combines folksy vernacular with an easy loping gait.” (Seattle Times)

“Larison writes with unrelenting momentum and thoughtfully explores questions of gender identity, power, and violence.” (Outside Magazine)

Beautiful Prose • Engaging Characters • Diverse Personalities • Captivating Storyline • Historical Authenticity
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This book is gritty & not romanticized like most westerns. The main character is a female forced to live in a man's world. Due to that the female character takes on very masculine characteristics and feelings. The book is uniquely written to convey the masculinity of the character & the men surrounding her while maintaining an underlying femininity. I didn't love the ending, so I gave the story only 4 stars. The narration is fantastic. It's totally worth the credit to listen.

Very good!

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Larison's novel addresses a number of themes, including religion, justice, gender identity, family loyalty and friendship without ever preaching or even promoting a clear opinion on any of them. The writing is beautiful, the characters believably complex and the performance superb.

Beautiful writing, believably read.

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This is the kind of book that makes me wish I had a longer commute. Amazing writing, masterful narration. I've seen this referred to as a feminist Western. While that's a fair assessment, what makes it even more truly feminist is that it doesn't feel like the author was trying to force a message. It's just sincere, compelling writing about a girl pushed to extremes.

An Instant Western Classic

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Sophie Amoss’s voice acting on this book is just amazing. A pleasure to listen to! The writing is utterly brilliant in places, and the story itself is interesting, both in plot and in the type of people the story is told through. This is not a stereotypical western with white heroes. Refreshing and thought provoking.

Superb narration, engaging story

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the narrator was totally convincing and propulsive through all the voices and events. A terrific performance.

Sophie Amoss's narration is fabulous and engaging.

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Listening to this beautifully crafted story was an absolute treat. The Narration was perfection, story was gripping. completely wonderful.

Top two!

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I was hesitant to download this one because it's not like the books I normally enjoy. So very glad I did, it's descriptive and really puts you into the story. The narrator's voice was so fitting of the story as well. 5 stars, will definitely be recommending!

One of the best books I've listened to in a while

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i yearn constantly for a western with grit and honesty. this is it. i hope it falls upon the ears of the true people whos faces and stories are reflected in this book. the west was many things and this was a true telling.

best western ive read in a time

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Fairly violent and graphic but the prose were gorgeous and the story felt authentic. Excellent

Riveting story

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I don’t normally read or listen to westerns so I was pleasantly surprised by this incredible saga. I loved the slightly formal language of the old west. I loved the beautifully descriptive, cinematic imagery. The performance by Sophie Amoss was so nuanced, so tender and so powerful. She captured the essence of every character, making them authentic and unique. I highly recommend this audiobook beyond genre preference.

Mesmerizing

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