The Trackers

A Novel

By: Charles Frazier

Narrated by: Will Patton

From the New York Times bestselling author of Cold Mountain and Varina, a stunning new novel that paints a vivid portrait of life in the Great Depression

Hurtling past the downtrodden communities of Depression-era America, painter Val Welch travels westward to the rural town of Dawes, Wyoming. Through a stroke of luck, he’s landed a New Deal assignment to create a mural representing the region for their new Post Office.

A wealthy art lover named John Long and his wife Eve have agreed to host Val at their sprawling ranch. Rumors and intrigue surround the couple: Eve left behind an itinerant life riding the rails and singing in a western swing band. Long holds shady political aspirations, but was once a WWI sniper—and his right hand is a mysterious elder cowboy, a vestige of the violent old west. Val quickly finds himself entranced by their lives.

One day, Eve flees home with a valuable painting in tow, and Long recruits Val to hit the road with a mission of tracking her down. Journeying from ramshackle Hoovervilles to San Francisco nightclubs to the swamps of Florida, Val's search for Eve narrows, and he soon turns up secrets that could spark formidable changes for all of them.

In The Trackers, singular American writer Charles Frazier conjures up the lives of everyday people during an extraordinary period of history that bears uncanny resemblance to our own. With the keen perceptions of humanity and transcendent storytelling that have made him beloved for decades, Frazier has created a powerful and timeless new classic.

©2023 Charles Frazier (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

the tracker.

the tracker seem to be about hobos the depression era and how mean and depressing life can be. and how a veteran from the world war II was throwing his money around to make himself feel important in life.

disappointed in story

I probably would not have finished but for the excellent narration by Will Patton.

Great writing, great narration

The author's description of characters, events, scenery and story is wonderful and the narrator's interpretation is mezmerizing. I could listen to him all day.

Excellent storytelling

I found myself invested in the characters’ past, present and future. As usual, Frasier paints a realistic picture of human nature.

Will Patton!

Dear Mr. Patton,
Thank you for reading to me.
(And to all the rest of us.)
: )

I wanted to love it

The story felt like it was eventually going to take off, but it never really left the ground.

Meh

The premise of the story was good. It’s written very beautifully since the main character is an artist in the way he sees landscape is written well. But the story itself in a whole is just OK and it’s very drawn out for a unfortunately unsatisfying ending.

Fabulous

An all around incredible book. It could not have been better written or narrated. Spectacular.

Beautifully written and narrated

Beautiful written and narrated tale of diverse characters and their intersection during a tumultuous time of uncertainty that reveals the best and worst of humanity. In some ways a coming of age story, not one of innocence lost but one of waking to what was already there.

The metaphors to our current society

Will Patton’s reading was great! The story was somewhat predictable but the character descriptions were enjoyable if not a bit cliche.