Blue Hole Back Home

By: Joy Jordan-Lake

Narrated by: Angela Dawe

In a time when cross burnings and men in white hoods appeared to be a thing of the past, a small town confronts a kind of hate it thought had long since died out....

Shelby Lenoir Maynard, nicknamed Turtle, has never much trusted girls her own age, spending her days instead with her brother and his pack of friends. But when a mysterious Sri Lankan girl of Moorish descent moves to town, Turtle invites her to their secret haven: the Blue Hole. Turtle could not have imagined how much that simple gesture would alter the rest of her life, or the lives of those she loves. As tensions rise, it becomes clear there are those in Pisgah Ridge who reject the presence of anyone different - and those who would welcome the new refugee family. In just one summer - in a collision of love, hate, jealousy, beauty and a muddy swimming hole - everything changes.

©2017 Joy Jordan-Lake (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

VERY GOOD

Very good story
Very good narration
could not stop listening, finished on 2nd day.
Best I've listened to in a good while!

Vivid, Lovable, Heartbreaking

This is my second time reading this masterpiece of a novel. The voice of this work is so distinct, beautiful, and yet hauntingly relatable that when I first read the paperback copy, I had to read it aloud just to hear the cadence of the narrator’s poignant memory fill my ears. So when I saw an audio version of this book performed by the talents of Angela Dawe, I knew I had to listen. I sat enraptured by this vivid tale once more, falling in love with the “Mangy Pack” all over again. It’s as relevant now as it ever was as it addresses the deep evils of racism and the power of love to burn bright even in (or perhaps especially in) the darkness of unmerited hatred. It’s a powerful story with characters so real you’ll feel like one of The Pack riding in the back of Emerson’s pickup truck, wind whipping at your hair in the Southern Summer heat, as you drop peanuts into your Dr. Pepper on the way to the Blue Hole.

Excellent! Best listen of 2018

Well developed characters and a meaningful plot line rounded out with outstanding narration. Highly recommend the audio version!

It’s sad that lines still exist

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have always enjoyed coming of age books and this one was great.
I’d recommend it to anyone who also like this genre. I’ll surly look for more by this author as well as the reader.

Heart warming and heartbreaking

Awesome read! A must read for teens and young and old adults alike. Thoroughly enjoyed the Audible narration.

Lyrical, wistful, sorrowful

Brilliantly written and performed. The story of coming of age during an era of Southern racism; innocence destroyed. Entirely relatable and engaging and heartbreaking.

Good concept

Overall I am disappointed. The characters seem to lack depth . Events that would create high emotions seem to be flat. Maybe it's the narration that puts that spin on it, or lack of spin.