Some Luck
Last Hundred Years Trilogy, Book 1
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Some Luck
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Narrated by:
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Lorelei King
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By:
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Jane Smiley
About this listen
Some Luck the first book in Jane Smiley's landmark epic trilogy, was chosen by The Bookseller as their Book of the Month for November.
The first novel in a dazzling new epic trilogy from the winner of the Pulitzer Prize; a literary adventure that will span a century in America.
1920: After his return from the battlefields in France, Walter Langdon and his wife Rosanna begin their life together on a remote farm in Iowa. As time passes, their little family will grow: from Frank, the handsome, willful first-born, to Joe, whose love of animals and the land sustains him; from Lillian, beloved by her mother, to Henry who craves only the world of his books; and Claire, the surprise baby, who earns a special place in her father's heart.
As Walter and Rosanna struggle to keep their family through good years and hard years - to years more desperate than they ever could have imagined, the world around their little farm will turn, and life for their children will be unrecognizable from what came before.
Some will fall in love, some will have families of their own, some will go to war, and some will not survive. All will mark history in their own way.
Tender, compelling, and moving from the 1920s to the 1950s, told in multiple voices as rich as the Iowan soil, Some Luck is an astonishing feat of storytelling by a prize-winning author writing at the height of her powers.
2015, The Folio Prize, Long-listed
©2014 Jane Smiley (P)2014 Pan Macmillan Publishers LtdListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about Some Luck
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- clive
- 14-06-17
Another great listen from Jane Smiley
I've been putting off starting this trilogy. I thought it might be a bit too long, a bit linear, maybe a bit slow. I was wrong. It's a page turner and immerses you in a family story told by multiple characters. A remarkable feat of story telling. I can't wait to listen to book 2.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Claire FB
- 16-02-16
Lovely story- well told
The pace of this story gathers and before you know it you are caught up in Rosanna and Walters' lives. You really care about them- they become your family and their history is fascinating. I was shocked and saddened when this volume came to an end. I loved it and Lorelei King's performance was brilliant.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mikey
- 13-11-14
A really pleasant listen
What did you like most about Some Luck?
It was such a pleasant listen which was really lovely for relaxing with a cup of tea.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Some Luck?
This question is aimed to reveal spoilers.. but I shall not succumb!
What does Lorelei King bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Nothing special, but she was O.K.
If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?
Family life
Any additional comments?
A creative insight into family life post WW1 leading though right into the 50s. With some highs and lows, this really is a realistic view of what life really can be like, in any era. I found the story to be inventive and cleverly written, with a pleasant undertone of old fashioned ways.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- carole miller
- 04-01-18
First in trilogy
Rather long winded but perhaps necessary for descriptive prose. Reader good at evoking characters and situations.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- susan
- 17-06-19
Wonderfully evocative of personalities and eras
This was a slow build, wasn't sure if I was going to be bored by it. But no! Jane Smiley sucks you into the world of this family with all its different personalities and lives. Beautiful writing and beautifully narrated . Will be reading the next volume in the Trilogy.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- sarahmoose2000
- 05-12-14
Waltons-esque
Newborn Frank is living with his parents on a remote Iowa farm. The descriptive thoughts of Frank are funny and inventive at a mere five months old. He continues to grow and proves to be very headstrong. More siblings arrive and we discover life is tough for the farmers, and as each year passes, you realise you are getting nearer to WWII where some of the children will be of age for conscription.
Very enjoyable listen, although Lorelei King narrates the same in every book she does and I kept being reminded of Joe Morrelli from the Janet Evanovich novels.
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