Now in November

By: Josephine Johnson

Narrated by: Carlotta Brentan

A lost gem of twentieth-century literature, Josephine Johnson’s 1934 Pulitzer Prize–winning “exquisite…heartbreakingly real” (The New York Times Book Review) novel follows a year in the life of a family struggling to survive the Dust Bowl.

Published when Josephine Johnson was only twenty-four years old, Now in November made Johnson the youngest ever winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1935. It is a beautifully told account of one farming family’s challenges to scrape by and earn a living from mortgaged land over the course of a single year, narrated by one of three sisters—the introspective and thoughtful Margaret. As the household is ravaged by Depression-era hardship and the environmental blights of the Dust Bowl, the family’s unique vulnerabilities are pushed to a breaking point.

In a style typical of Johnson’s body of work, Now in November is strikingly ahead of its time, grappling with questions of mental health, worker’s rights, as well as gender, race, and class and is ready to be rediscovered by a new generation of readers.

Critic reviews

"Brentan’s delivery is warm and intelligent, her Marget full of the courage of youth. We know the rains won’t come in time. Brentan’s Marget doesn’t, which makes her hope heartbreaking."

Review on narrator.

This is a great narrator! Don't think twice about picking this one up. It's very clear, the worst are emphasized properly, not over the top.

Poignant

Now in November is an emotional telling of a desperate and hard time. Great narration.

heartbreakingly real

I listened to this short book over a number of months. I had to take breaks from it. I kept hoping for a happy ending or some relief for this poor family. the narrator was pitch-perfect. I heard the desperation in her voice. I think this is a good listen and a tragic slice of Americana. Highly recommend.

A wonderful book

Josephine Johnson was a masterful storyteller. It must not have been easy to weave lyrical words into such a tragic. plaintive story.

Sadly Beautiful

This is a very touching and sensitively told story about poverty and loss. It should be better known.