The Last Runaway cover art

The Last Runaway

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The Last Runaway

By: Tracy Chevalier
Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
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About this listen

Laurel Lefkow reads the stunning new novel from the bestselling author of Girl with a Pearl Earring

When modest Quaker Honor Bright sails from Bristol with her sister, she is fleeing heartache for a new life in America, far from home. But tragedy leaves her alone and vulnerable, torn between two worlds and dependent on the kindness of strangers. Life in 1850s Ohio is precarious and unsentimental. The sun is too hot, the thunderstorms too violent, the snow too deep. The roads are spattered with mud and spit. The woods are home to skunks and porcupines and raccoons. They also shelter slaves escaping north to freedom.

Should Honor hide runaways from the ruthless men who hunt them down? The Quaker community she has joined may oppose slavery in principle, but does it have the courage to help her defy the law? Set in the tangled forests and sunlit cornfields of Ohio, Tracy Chevalier's vivid novel is the story of bad men and spirited women, surprising marriages and unlikely friendships, and the remarkable power of defiance.

©2013 Tracy Chevalier (P)2014 Audible, Inc. Fiction Historical Fiction Heartfelt Law Ohio

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All stars
Most relevant  

Would you listen to The Last Runaway again? Why?

I probably will listen again, as it's just the sort of story to listen to while sewing or gardening. There was lots of information about the Quakers, which interests me, and also a huge amount of detail about making quilts. Did women really quilt double handed?

What other book might you compare The Last Runaway to, and why?

A recent book I have read was The Help - about the negro women working in white households in the southern states of the USA at the time of Martin Luther King. This book has stayed with me over the months, so it was good to find so much in the Last Runaway about the days of black struggle during slavery - particularly to find that the Quakers were practical supporters of freedom.

What didn’t you like about Laurel Lefkow’s performance?

Her accent was irritating at times, particularly when she tried to speak Dorset and it came out Yorkshire. Several mispronounciations of words also grated.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Goodness, no! Far too long. However it divided up neatly into chapters, and I read it over about 4 days.

Any additional comments?

Characterisation was good on the whole: Belle was particularly good, although Honour's husband very light-weight. The device of using letters as commentary was particularly effective, as in letters to Bessie.

A Must for Quilters!

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The story itself had many wonderful highs and lows, and was told sympathetically and intelligently. It is a brilliant book.

A moving and intensely interesting story

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Enjoyable story but not as captivating as others like ‘a single
Thread’. Good narration but the accents slipped a lot which was a little distracting at times, but I did enjoy listening to this

Enjoyable story

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10 out of 10 for this wonderfull book, this will be in my top 5 books, I loved it.
Such an interesting story with lots of twists and turns.

Superb story

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This is an amazing tale – a naive young woman from Dorset, a Quaker, who accompanies her sister emigrating to Ohio. She soon discovers that even the northern states are riven with moral conflicts around slavery. She tries hard to hold fast to her beliefs, but comes under massive pressure to compromise. A beautifully told tale, superbly read.

Moral conflicts in pre-abolition America

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Would you listen to The Last Runaway again? Why?

A brilliant crafted story, told sympathetically and with elegance. I definite story to return to.

What did you like best about this story?

It was easy to empathise with all the characters in the book not just the main one, resulting in a breadth of involvment that kept you hooked from start to finish.

Absolutely fantastic!

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This book was so beautifully written and narrated! I got to live with Honour , experience her happiness and her sadness- finishing this book was like saying goodbye to a much loved friend!

Beautifully Written

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For a relatively long audiobook, nothing much happened. A Quaker moves to the States with her sister but the sister dies of yellow fever on their arrival. She must now cope on her own, with her only asset being a gift of sewing.

The runaway of the title refers to her, as she is escaping a failed engagement and also the plight of the slaves on the underground railway. It was interesting learning how the underground railway worked and the kindness of Quakers, so it is worth a listen.

Quaker Oats

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Very good story and good narration somewhat believable characters no doubt a bit toned down from what must have been a very trying period for slaves. Nevertheless a very good listen

Story

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A coming of age story by a wonderful author. Set in a time of great upheavel it is a lesson for all!

Mesmerising and captivating!

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