Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead

A Novel

By: Olga Tokarczuk, Antonia Lloyd-Jones

Narrated by: Beata Pozniak

Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

"A brilliant literary murder mystery." (Chicago Tribune)

"Extraordinary. Tokarczuk's novel is funny, vivid, dangerous, and disturbing, and it raises some fierce questions about human behavior. My sincere admiration for her brilliant work." (Annie Proulx)

In a remote Polish village, Janina devotes the dark winter days to studying astrology, translating the poetry of William Blake, and taking care of the summer homes of wealthy Warsaw residents. Her reputation as a crank and a recluse is amplified by her not-so-secret preference for the company of animals over humans. Then, a neighbor, Big Foot, turns up dead. Soon, other bodies are discovered, in increasingly strange circumstances. As suspicions mount, Janina inserts herself into the investigation, certain that she knows whodunit. If only anyone would pay her mind....

A deeply satisfying thriller cum fairy tale, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead is a provocative exploration of the murky borderland between sanity and madness, justice and tradition, autonomy and fate. Whom do we deem sane? it asks. Who is worthy of a voice?

©2019 Olga Tokarczuk and Antonia Lloyd-Jones (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

Named a best book of 2019 by Time, NPR, Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and BookRiot.

PEN America Translation Prize longlist

Warwick Prize for Women in Translation shortlist

“A marvelously weird and fablelike mystery.... Authors with Tokarczuk’s vending machine of phrasing...and gimlet eye for human behavior...are rarely also masters of pacing and suspense. But even as Tokarczuk sticks landing after landing...her asides are never desultory or a liability. They are more like little cuts - quick, exacting and purposefully belated in their bleeding.... This book is not a mere whodunit: It’s a philosophical fairy tale about life and death that’s been trying to spill its secrets. Secrets that, if you’ve kept your ear to the ground, you knew in your bones all along.” (New York Times Book Review)

“While it adopts the straightforward structure of a murder mystery, [the book features] macabre humor and morbid philosophical interludes [that] are distinctive to its author...[and an] excellent payoff at the finale.... As for Ms. Tokarczuk, there’s no doubt: She’s a gifted, original writer, and the appearance of her novels in English is a welcome development.” (The Wall Street Journal)

“Drive Your Plow is exhilarating in a way that feels fierce and private, almost inarticulable; it’s one of the most existentially refreshing novels I’ve read in a long time.” (The New Yorker)

Fantastic murder mystery

The author’s obvious brilliance and depth shines in her novel. The plot is excellent and keeps you engaged throughout. The final presentation brings all the elements back together in a final twist that leaves you juxtaposed between justice, admiration, and the darker side of our psyche.
Her specific ties to Blake offer a level of existential consideration. The elements of modern struggles political right wing views, the fight for rights of women and animals and the constant push and pull of natural order and religion are all presented beautifully woven together in the story leaving you pondering long after you’ve put it down.
I will re-read it again very soon- fully excited to glean more and more each time.
Brilliant!

Different, delightful performance

I love the main character and the voice of the performer. This is one of my favorite audio books because it is so different and thought provoking.

Excellent!

I have to say that there is nothing I didn't like about this book. The reader was perfect for the work and the story was riveting from the beginning for me. While I had a sneaking suspicion about the ending, I was surprised nonetheless. I would recommend this wholeheartedly.

Unique voice and plot

Initially I must admit I didn’t care for the pace of the narration, but I ran it at 1.3x speed and that worked well for me. It is a very character driven piece, with enough mystery to keep one involved. If you like mysteries with unique settings, this is well worth the read.

Unique story

I’ve never read anything like this story. Lead character is interesting. I would have loved to know more about the other characters, her neighbors/friends. Overall 3 for me.

Such a wonderful find

Both a whodunnit and a beautiful contemplation of growing old, human cruelty and beauty, and a contemplation of our role in the natural world. An aging, eccentric woman takes on the world around her. This book is funny a poignant. Perfect narration. I loved it.

Wonderful narrator!

And a thought provoking murder mystery written by a Nobel Laureate, set in Poland. I enjoyed hearing the pronunciation of Polish names and places.

Entertaining

Very entertaining and thought provoking. Appreciated the use of language to explore animals, plants, astrology and life in Poland. Am glad it was recommended to me.

An Amazing Treat

At once, the elderly, animal-loving, astrologist captivated me with her unique opinions and world view. Her sorrow and humor constantly surprised me. Beata Pozniak’s slow, accented performance only reinforced the other-worldly quality of the story. I loved it and would recommend it to anyone interested in astrology.

Refreshingly different

The author presentation of concern for other living things brings to mind similar thoughts in many people