Change: The Numismatic Odyssey of a Quarter

By: Michael K. White

Narrated by: Collene Curran

Change: The Numismatic Odyssey of a Quarter follows a 1963d Quarter for 100 years. If you've ever held an old coin and wondered about its journey, Change offers the story of one of these roads, telling the brutal vaudeville that was late 20th century America. Through large stories and small moments, high comedy and quiet loss, Change reflects not only the chaos of history but the connectedness of small things, and yes, even the nature of evolution itself.

©2018 Michael K. White (P)2020 Michael K. White

A varied numismatic escapade

In terms of the reading, as this review is for the audiobook, this was well read, with some minor passing repeated sentences in the reading. It was a bit of an adjustment to the voice, but I was quickly taken in.

As to the text, don't let the cover fool you, this is a rather varied collection of stories, otherwise disparate, but linked by the presence of one single two bit coin, a 1963 Denver minted Quarter. An interesting view into historical fiction, tracing mostly throughout events of the mid to late 20th century, with a cast of characters the likes that any storyteller would be proud of. Do be aware that some of the stories are rather racy in nature, and may not be great for small ears, but most of it was handled in a polite manner.

I requested a free review copy of this audiobook, with expectation of my honest review. Thank you for allowing me to listen to and review the book!

Brilliant premise

White is a master of transforming the inanimate to life through his unique perspective. As though the quarter were a lens through which we glimpse history, White leads us through an intriguing recount of the happenings we have all wondered about when flipping through our change. Where has it been? In whose pocket has it settled? What crimes has it witnessed or even paid for. The voice is a bit raspy, but it lends to the ambiance of wisdom of an object that never loses lustre yet witnesses the wears of time.

A Quarter On The Move

This is a very interesting and sometimes humorous account of the travel our pocket change experiences. We never give much thought to where those coins in our pocket have been or where they are going. Sometimes those dates are new and sometimes they precede our own existence. This book gives us a glimpse into that travel through time and place that even outlives our own. The narration was well done and added to the appeal of this book. I was provided this book in exchange for a fair review.