October in the Earth

A Novel

By: Olivia Hawker

Narrated by: Jackie Zebrowski

Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

In Depression-era Kentucky, a defiant wife embarks on an impulsive and liberating journey in a powerful novel by the bestselling author of One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow and The Ragged Edge of Night.

Del Wensley, wife of the most celebrated preacher in Harlan County, tries to mind her place. Until her husband’s infidelity pushes an already strained marriage to a breaking point. Clinging to her last hope for self-respect, Del turns her back on the rigid life she’s known. A coal train is rolling through the valley. With her eyes wide open to the unfamiliar, and to the freedom she craves, Del takes to the rails.

Rumbling across America, Del is soon drawn into a transient community among outcasts—and finds a special friend in Louisa Trout. A nomadic single mother, Louisa teaches Del the ways of the boxcars and promises to help her reach a migrant enclave where Del can learn the skills she’ll need to survive. But as they move forward together under desperate circumstances, even the closest of bonds threatens to break.

With the Depression taking its toll, Del must gather her strength and faith. As she carries on toward one unknown after another, her life becomes a fulfilling, sometimes dangerous, and exhilarating adventure. But no matter the risks, it’s a life that she alone controls.

©2023 Libbie M. Grant writing as Olivia Hawker. (P)2023 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Time and place are exceptionally well depicted, and the strong female characters make this a worthy read.”—Booklist

“This is a fully realized portrait of an era, as well as of a relationship between two women where no male heroes appear to save anyone.”—Historical Novels Review

“Fans of Olivia Hawker will delight in her masterful new novel. October in the Earth is a singular work of art—a testament to unexpected love and resilience during one of America's most challenging eras. Hawker's Dust Bowl heroines rise from their respective ashes, and will captivate readers with their spirited, sweeping journey through a starkly beautiful landscape ravaged by poverty and drought. Moving, lyrical, and completely unforgettable.”—Paulette Kennedy, bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain

Great Book

I love this author. Once again, she gave us a Great Book! This very unique story surprised me in a lot of ways. I had never really thought about why, a person became a hobo. To think that someone would choose this way of life. It is incomprehensible. I couldn’t believe that she rode the rails like she did for over 10 years. I was very emotional at the end, in spite of the narrator saying it wasn’t sad.

A Depression Era story

Too long. Really not a happy ending for the main character as she described it. The story left me wondering about some of the historical facts like the code of the hobos. 

Narrator was raspy

The narrator’s voice did not match the main character in my opinion. The story was pretty original. The main character could be a little annoying at times.

Interesting

Plot seemed unrealistic. I don’t find major character to be believable without much description of severe struggles of what it wad like to be on the road back then. Seems to have romanticized it quite a bit for the sake of the story especially for women.

Great word choice

The vivid descriptions and the love of the English language was very nice. The story has some great life lessons and what we should learn to love and what love is. Happiness is not always what you think it is. I loved this book and will mark it as one of my favorites.

Captured my heart and my strong will for women's rights.

The main character had the true red flags and mental health issues that came from dealing with an unfaithful, lying husband. Planning her escape and sticking with it took a much courage as jumping those trains. She took something bad and turned it into a life she truly loved, and found out what true love actually felt like. a sacrificing, honest, gentle and open pure love.

Really good

What a good read. Olivia Hawker is an outstanding author I've been following for quite a while. She definitely knows how to write outstanding historical fiction and lays out her characters in such a way that even though you now they are wrong in some of the things they do, you end up liking them and pulling for them. Great book!

Great listen

The story is original and amazing. The voice acting was very good, I kept imagining Park Overall. Gives a different perspective on the Great Depression from what we have learned. Gives a pretty eye opening look at opportunistic leaches too.

Brilliant prose

Olivia Hawker shines with her lyrical prose and her deep
Story telling. Jackie is the perfect voice for this novel.

Predicable and Mostly Dull

I’ve enjoyed several of Olivia Hawkers books in the past and was looking forward to this work, hoping for a harking back to One for the Blackbird and One for the Crow, but this was not it. I found the writing to be dull and lacking in nuance. The story was predictable in someways and somewhat dull. This could have been a great cross between a type of Grapes of Wrath and the Lincoln Highway, but it missed the mark.