The Scavenger's Daughters

Tales of the Scavenger's Daughters, Book 1

By: Kay Bratt

Narrated by: Will Damron

"If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole lives would change." (Buddha)

Coming of age during China’s Cultural Revolution, Benfu survived the cruel years, but he did not emerge unscathed. The Scavenger’s Daughters is the story of Benfu and his beloved wife Calli, chronicling their attempts to build a life in the turmoil and aftermath of Maoist China. At the heart of their struggle lies the pain of losing their only child. To fill the terrible hole in their lives, they take in abandoned girls - the unwanted "weeds" - as their own, lovingly caring for them as flowers in a garden. Linnea, the oldest of the scavenger’s daughters, embarks on a struggle of her own, as she falls in love with the son of a wealthy family.

Inspired by a true story, this poetic tale of modern-day China chronicles Benfu and Calli as they turn their path of hardship into a beautiful field of flowers.

©2013 Kay Bratt (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Gripping Tale to the End

What does Will Damron bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Very good narration of a wonderful story. The only downside is that Will Damron has not dug very deep to find out how the simple Chinese terms used in the book are actually pronounced. This won't bother many people, but for those of us who speak Chinese it was a bit annoying at times.

Any additional comments?

I am already into the sequel. Ms. Bratt knows how to tell a story and the characters are very compelling. Can't wait to find out what happens next.

A beautiful story

A beautiful story and a must listen for all ages. A reminder of how China once devalued female children.

The Scavenger's Daughters

THE PALEST INK was one of my favorite reads last year. While that story centers around a young Benfu, Bratt begins the TALES OF THE SCAVENGER'S DAUGHTERS series with an older, much wiser Benfu. His golden years (should they be called that?) are much different than those of his youth, when things came to him easily as the son of wealthy, respectable parents. Having cut ties with his privileged past, Benfu spends his days scavenging. He's a junk collector. Benfu collects and sells other's unwanted trash. Along the way, he has also rescued discarded and orphaned girls that have been thrown away like yesterday's garbage. It's no mistake that Bratt chooses this profession for Benfu and the meaning behind this decision is not lost on me.

Understandably, Benfu is resentful and angry at the government that betrayed him as a young man. The communist revolution of Mao Zedong stole young Benfu's life, changing him forever. Benfu's bitter resentment causes him to make decisions that are not always in the best interest of his loved ones. His pride may be the undoing of the family he's worked so hard to protect.

THE SCAVENGER'S DAUGHTERS, narrated beautifully by Will Damron, was a great Audible listen. I have all three ebooks in this series but thought it would be interesting to start the series with the audio version. I wanted to get the feel of things. Damron puts a lot of emotion into his storytelling and was believable as Benfu. He didn't do too bad as Benfu's daughters either.

I highly recommend reading the prequel, THE PALEST INK, first. I had this series on my kindle for a couple of years. You know how it goes; I really wanted to start the first book way back when. Then, Bratt released the prequel and I'm glad I waited. I feel like the reader will better understand the reasoning behind Benfu's decisions to live life as he does. Besides, I'm not really a fan of going backwards in stories. Every reader has their method. Mix the series up if ya like. There are four books in the series. TANGLED VINES Book Two, BITTER WINDS Book Three, RED SKIES Book Four.

Such an inspiring story

I've allayed loved China and Chinese history but this story showed apart of China rarely seen. Beautifully written and masterfully narrated, The Scavenger's Daughters is a must for those who believe in compassion and love.

Wonderful Read

The story was beautifully written in honor of all the abandoned little girls of China. Heartwarming story. I loved everything about it. The facts were all accurate. Thank you for such a beautiful story of unconditional love.

Loved this book

This book was so wonderful. The author gave each character such depth. I had not known much about this culture or it's history. This was such a personal way to learn through the life of this family. I can't wait to listen to the 2nd book!

A perfect book to listen to

A story of love and kindness read with compassion made for moments of pure joy for this listener. I loved this well-written tale, richly conveyed by the narrator. Highly recommended.

Beyond Expectations

Thoroughly enjoyed! Have a soft spot in my heart for China, such a beautiful tale yet sad, wound with information about the country. Can't wait to start the second in the series!

Sweet loving story

Good story line, good characters, great narration. This is very touching and makes you appreciate everything you have.

book needs a chinese speaking narrator

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

Will Damron is a great narrator, but it's such a shame they didn't have someone else narrate all the Chinese, or at least teach him that "yeye" is not pronounced "yay yay"... "xie xie" is NOT "shee shee"... these words are throughout the entire book and it pains my ears to hear him butcher such a beautiful language.