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Ironweed cover art

Ironweed

Written by: William Kennedy
Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
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Publisher's Summary

Ironweed is the best-known of William Kennedy's three Albany-based novels. Francis Phelan, ex-ballplayer, part-time gravedigger, full-time drunk, has hit bottom. Years ago he left Albany in a hurry after killing a scab during a trolley workers' strike; he ran away again after accidentally – and fatally – dropping his infant son. Now, in 1938, Francis is back in town, roaming the old familiar streets with his hobo pal, Helen, trying to make peace with the ghosts of the past and the present.

As an added bonus, when you purchase our Audible Modern Vanguard production of William Kennedy's book, you'll also receive an exclusive Jim Atlas interview. This interview – where James Atlas interviews Russell Banks about the life and work of William Kennedy – begins as soon as the audiobook ends.

©1984 William Kennedy (P)2009 Audible, Inc.
Historical Fiction Genre Fiction Literary Fiction
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What the critics say

"A kind of fantasia on the strangeness of human destiny, on the mysterious ways in which a life can be transformed and sometimes redeemed...a work of unusual interest, original in its conception, full of energy and color, a splendid addition to the Albany cycle." ( The New York Times Book Review)
“Narrator Jonathan Davis guides listeners through the surreal world of life on the streets in the late Depression, where Phelan talks as easily to the dead as he does to his companions. Taking an objective tack, Davis is respectful of the hobos, maintaining their own odd mix of self-worth and self-loathing. As Phelan loosens the emotional knots of his past, Davis steps back just enough to let listeners be haunted by the words.” ( Audiofile)
"A powerfully affecting work, abounding in humor and heartbreak." ( Chicago Tribune Bookworld)

What listeners say about Ironweed

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So good. And so well read.

Compelling characters- a psychological dive encapsulated in an interesting story of 'bums' in the Depression.

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