Leaving Independence

De: Leanne W. Smith

Narrado por: Nicol Zanzarella

Abigail Baldwyn might not be a widow after all....

Ever since she received word that her husband, Robert, was killed in the Civil War, Abigail has struggled to keep her Tennessee home and family together. Then a letter arrives claiming that Robert isn't dead, yet he has no plans to return. Desperate for answers, Abigail travels to Independence, Missouri, where she joins a westbound wagon train to find him.

Leading a company along the Oregon Trail isn't part of Hoke Mathews's plans. But then the former cavalry scout gets a glimpse of Abigail - so elegant compared to the rest of their hardscrabble wagon community, yet spirited and resilient. Through every peril they encounter - snakebites, Indian raids, fevers, dangerous grudges - his bond with Abigail grows.

Abigail knew this journey would test her courage. Now it's testing her marriage vows and her heart, daring her to claim a future on her own terms in a land rich with promise.

The full copyright information can be found below:

Scripture references are from the Holy Bible, King James Version, public domain, except for those where the New International Version is used. 1 Corinthians 11:15 taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. The John Donne poem "No Man Is an Island," excerpts from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, and "The Star Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key are in the public domain. Grateful acknowledgment is made to reprint lyrics from the following hymns: "Blue Bell of Scotland," traditional Scottish folk ballad by Dora Jordan and "I Want Jesus to Walk with Me," slave spiritual, author unknown.

©2016 Leanne Wood Smith (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

enjoyed it

It started out somewhat unexciting but as the characters came to life so did the storyline

Absolutely LOVE this book. Definitely a re-listen

Where does Leaving Independence rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of my absolute favorites. I will definitely re-listen to this title. I listen to 3 to 5 audiobooks a week. That's saying something.

What did you like best about this story?

The story was really good! I loved it! Her characters were well written, loved and hated perspectively. I loved the way she had their inner most thoughts and feelings discussed. Making these characters completely relate-able and understandable.

Have you listened to any of Nicol Zanzarella’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

She was the perfect narrator for this story. Can't imagine another voice revealing this story to us.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Several moments. That's what makes the book so good. I really enjoyed so many moments. But my favorite (SPOILER) was him dunking her in the creek. Totally awesome!!!

Any additional comments?

Nothin' but love for this story!

Slow but nice

The setting of this book is a great history but a little bit slow but very nice ending

Terrific Read

Leanne W Smith's debut novel deserves a wider audience. The pace and clarity of the story make for a natural page-turner. Narration is superb.

Loved it!

Wonderful story about moving west in the late 1800s. One of my favorites takes so far. I love that time era

heart felt western.

sweet. romantic. stories. well written.
a wagon west. a mother. with. 5 children. off to find their. father.

Great 1St book

Well written. Great for a first book. Sheds light on the earlier pioneers a good character study

good book

great reading. kept my attention all the way through. the narrator was very good. all in all I would recommend this book

Enjoyed listening to this one

I enjoyed this story of love on the plains with a few twists. Although I thought the performance was very good, some of the voices were excellent, others didn't seem to match what I thought main male characters should sound like. I enjoyed the Christian elements which were subtle.

So good.

the only disappointing thing is that the book is over! I found myself becoming so attached to the characters in this story, and the vocal performance really helped in this. What a wonderful little story, full of Adventure, hardship, romance, and love on all levels. This book was not some Fantastical regaling of pioneer days, but rather a grounded, realistic retailing of a brave woman's Tale during a wild and adventurous time in history. I adore Abigail Baldwin, and I'm certain that most readers would fall in love with her too. Excellent book, excellent performance. Highly recommended. Great for long drives!