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The Keepers of the House
- Narrated by: Anna Fields
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
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The Keepers of the House
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Publisher's Summary
Shirley Ann Grau is a major American author whose works are often set in New Orleans and Louisiana's Creole region. She often reflects the isolated bayous and their French-speaking residents, but her fiction is equally at home with the fiercely independent people of small Southern towns or the sophisticated life of the New Orleans' upper class. The Keepers of the House won her the Pulitzer Prize in 1965.
What the critics say
- Pulitzer Prize Winner, Fiction, 1965
"Shirley Ann Grau is one of those rare writers who create a world, draw the reader into it, and make him somehow happy there, no matter what goes on....One comes to the novel's end with a sense of loss, and leaves that world with reluctance." (Newsweek)
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What listeners love about The Keepers of the House
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jenni
- 2021-10-27
Unexpectedly powerful story that swept me away….
I really enjoyed the characters - they all were more self contained than I am and I found them as intriguing as I would a real life person who I wanted to know more about. I found myself ‘leaning in’ as if I was trying to catch every nuance so I could understand them better. Great book!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- J C
- 2022-12-02
Not recommended despite it being free
Found it long and drawn out and not exciting. I was wishing for it to be done. The ending was the only part I enjoyed of the story because it is true that people forget quickly and often bite the hand that feeds them. The narrator made the story feel very sad and depressing as well.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- R & R
- 2022-09-28
Powerful Story
Written well and read well. Story of hardship, empowerment and sad truths that are still found in today's world.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- C1nn
- 2022-07-16
Abysmal narration
This…. This narrator has completely set me off. I could not get beyond 15min. Believe me, I tried.
I truly hoped it would become much ‘more’. I couldn’t continue.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- pmb12345
- 2022-03-17
Couldn’t finish. Sooo boring
I was close to half done. Nothing had happened yet. Nothing. Lots of descriptors, but no story. It was so disappointing. I never give up on books. Never. But this one was just too bland to continue. Big pass on this one.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- I M Buninga
- 2022-02-28
Exquisitely detailed
The Keepers House was compelling and gripping. Author Shirley Ann Grau possesses such a unique gift detailing scenes both viscerally and sensitively with methods of beautiful prose. Her descriptions of critters in the deep south and the flora and fauna in various instances was vivid and intense. Equally impressive was the narrator and her ability to capture various speech inflections/nuances. It made it easy to visualize the different characters. The Keepers House captivated me so deeply that I couldn't stop listening, carrying the audio with me everywhere until it ended. The only disappointment was the ending. I wanted it to continue as it felt somewhat unfinished.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Pyewacket
- 2007-12-12
Wonderful
I'm working my way through Pulitzer Prize winners for fiction. The exceptional narrator contributes much to the enjoyment of this fascinating story of the deep south spanning three generations. The different voices were so distinct that there seemed to be more than one reader. Told from several characters' perspectives, the story unfolded seamlessly with an unexpected climax. This is one of the best audiobooks I've listened to (out of about 40). My dog appreciated it too, as I stretched out my listening time as long as possible on our walks.
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45 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Chimigi
- 2007-03-29
very enjoyable
It started slow but I truly enjoyed this book. The narrator is also very good. Highly recommended.
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28 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Debbie
- 2014-06-24
Good Story, Insufficient Conclusion
This book has been compared to "The Help" by other readers/listeners. There IS NO comparison. It is a well written story and I liked it just fine. There is no discrimination, no abuse of blacks, and I found that refreshing. Abigail grew up playing with and loving the children that her grandfather had with Margaret, a black woman that he lived with after his wife died. Not only did she love the three children, she loved Margaret. The story of Margaret is one of grace and kindness, and the selfless choices that she made for her three children out of love are the best parts of the book. William Howland, Abigail's grandfather, was a simple and good man, wealthy beyond anything that Abigail could have imagined. Overall, the book is low key. The narration is reflective, not passionate. And when it is all said and done, there's no revelation or tying up of loose ends at the conclusion of the book. The ending of a book is a big deal to me, and this one just didn't quite END, it just stopped.
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25 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Suzn F
- 2013-09-03
Complex yet Somehow Unsatisfying
This book has kept me thinking for three days now after finishing the story. What I'm thinking about is exactly how I feel about this book. And I'm just not sure. There were some parts of this book that were really quite amazing and worthwhile and yet overall I just couldn't warm to the book. As I write this review perhaps I'm figuring it out, the crux of it for me is the word warmth. I just couldn't warm to even one character, they were all wooden somehow. Although Ms. Grau gives the listener/reader several complex interesting characters who were in many ways well fleshed out, yet not one I can think of showed very much humanity or compassion, just no warmth. Grandfather William was distant, quiet, firm and efficient. The main character Abigail (William's granddaughter) is at times strong and yet submissive, angry and self serving; Abigail's mother is distant and depressed. Margaret (William's second partner, his first wife died early in their marriage)is the most interesting character; she is silent and strong yet she is very removed while always present. Abigail's husband John is just plainly a self serving ass. Then I ask myself is it essential for the characters in this book to have exhibited warmth? Of course the answer is no, not every character must be warm and fuzzy. However most or at least some people do show that they care for others especially within their family, so I guess I just couldn't totally buy it the way it was served up in this book. The narrator did a wonderful job narrating. So this one sure is an interesting mix.
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17 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Charlice
- 2008-02-04
Complex Story, Well-Narrated
This book was a little slow at first and, at times, my attention wandered during the lengthy descriptions of scenery. However, the story does draw you in. It is not formulaic or predictable. The characters are complex and mysterious. The end was a bit unsatisfying only because I really wanted to know more. Finally, the book is read really, really well.
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11 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Gina
- 2007-11-12
I cannot believe how good this book is
This book is so good. I feel like i know these people. It's so true that a good book is timeless.
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11 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- thatssocute
- 2013-02-26
lost a credit:(
The story is boring and the reader is very bad! Don't waste your credit!
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6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Corina
- 2011-08-16
Perfect Narration
Anna Fields has a convincing accent. Her voice matched the protagonists cold and vindictive mindset.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- rfogle
- 2017-02-27
loved it
This was such a good book! the narration couldn't of been better. It seemed as tho several people were doing the narration, how she separated the characters.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kelly
- 2020-07-29
one of my favorite Pulitzers
The Keepers of the House (1964), which won Shirley Ann Grau the Pulitzer Prize, is a masterwork on racism, and is uniquely told as the main character is a white woman in the deep south. She isn't a racist and, in fact, deals with threats and shunning herself. I won't go into more on that as it could spoil some of this brilliant story.
This is a smart, sophisticated, direct and ruthless indictment of racism. Grau's character comes from a family of Alabama landowners and lives in the ancestral family home. The Howland family have lived in this house for generations. In fact, Abigail Howland is the 7th generation. Abigail's father abandoned his wife and child to fight in WW2 and didn't return home. Her mother died young and so Abigail was raised by her grandfather William with the help of an African American woman named Margaret who lived in the home.
Abigail grows up in the home and marries a man who is running for governor. Unfortunately family secrets are exposed. I don't want to say any more as this may already be too much. The book is wonderful and deserves a wider modern-day audience. Read it.
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3 people found this helpful