Skip to main content
Digital Audiobook
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Listen to a sample

00:00
00:00

Salvage the Bones

Publisher
Bloomsbury Publishing
Publish Date
1 January 2021
Run Time
9 hours 23 minutes
Format
Audiobook

Not available in your country

We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.

What to expect

Bloomsbury presents Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward, read by January LaVoy.
_______________

'A brilliantly pacy adventure story ... Ward writes like a dream' – The Times

'Fresh and urgent' – New York Times

'There’s something of Faulkner to Ward’s grand diction' – Guardian
_______________

WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD

Hurricane Katrina is building over the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the coastal town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, and Esch's father is growing concerned. He's a hard drinker, largely absent, and it isn't often he worries about the family.

Esch and her three brothers are stockpiling food, but there isn't much to save. Lately, Esch can't keep down what food she gets; at fifteen, she has just realized that she's pregnant. Her brother Skeetah is sneaking scraps for his prized pit bull's new litter, dying one by one. Meanwhile, brothers Randall and Junior try to stake their claim in a family long on child's play and short on parenting.

As the novel progresses through twelve dramatic days, this unforgettable family – motherless children sacrificing for one another as they can, protecting and nurturing where love is scarce – pulls itself up to face another day.
_______________

'Masterful ... A palpable sense of desire and sorrow animates every page ... Salvage the Bones has the aura of a classic about it' – Washington Post

'Beautifully written ... A powerful depiction of grinding poverty, where somehow, amid the deprivation, the flame of filial affection survives and a genuine spirit of community is able to triumph over everything the system and nature can throw at it' – Daily Mail

Critics Review

  • Fresh and urgent

    New York Times

  • Masterful ... A palpable sense of desire and sorrow animates every page ... Salvage the Bones has the aura of a classic about it

    Washington Post

  • A brilliantly pacy adventure story ... Ward writes like a dream. A real dream: uneasy, vivid and deep as the sea

    The Times

  • Beautifully written ... A powerful depiction of grinding poverty, where somehow, amid the deprivation, the flame of filial affection survives and a genuine spirit of community is able to triumph over everything the system and nature can throw at it

    Daily Mail

See more reviews
  • There’s something of Faulkner to Ward’s grand diction

    Guardian

User Reviews

No reviews yet.

Details

Author
Jesmyn Ward
Narrator
January LaVoy
Duration
9 hours 23 minutes
Release Date
1 January 2021
ISBN
9781526635693
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre
Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Family life fiction / Stories about family, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Narrative theme: death, grief, loss, Social impact of disasters / accidents (natural or man-made)

Synopsis

Bloomsbury presents Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward, read by January LaVoy._______________'A brilliantly pacy adventure story ... Ward writes like a dream' – The Times'Fresh and urgent' – New York Times'There’s something of Faulkner to Ward’s grand diction' – Guardian_______________WINNER OF THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDHurricane Katrina is building over the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the coastal town of Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, and Esch's father is growing concerned. He's a hard drinker, largely absent, and it isn't often he worries about the family.Esch and her three brothers are stockpiling food, but there isn't much to save. Lately, Esch can't keep down what food she gets; at fifteen, she has just realized that she's pregnant. Her brother Skeetah is sneaking scraps for his prized pit bull's new litter, dying one by one. Meanwhile, brothers Randall and Junior try to stake their claim in a family long on child's play and short on parenting.As the novel progresses through twelve dramatic days, this unforgettable family – motherless children sacrificing for one another as they can, protecting and nurturing where love is scarce – pulls itself up to face another day._______________'Masterful ... A palpable sense of desire and sorrow animates every page ... Salvage the Bones has the aura of a classic about it' – Washington Post'Beautifully written ... A powerful depiction of grinding poverty, where somehow, amid the deprivation, the flame of filial affection survives and a genuine spirit of community is able to triumph over everything the system and nature can throw at it' – Daily Mail

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.