One of Us

A Novel

By: Dan Chaon

Narrated by: Dan Chaon, John Pirhalla, Stephanie Németh-Parker

A playfully macabre and utterly thrilling tale about orphaned twins on the run from their murderous uncle who find refuge in a bizarre traveling carnival, from master of literary horror Dan Chaon. This program features multicast narration.

"The gravitas of narrators Dan Chaon, John Pirhalla, and Stephanie Németh-Parker works well with this novel's well-balanced use of description and early-20th-century dialogue...All three narrators bring believable voices to this story of pursuit."—AudioFile

It’s 1915 and the world is transforming, but for thirteen-year-old Bolt and Eleanor—twins so close they can literally read each other’s minds—life is falling apart. When their mother dies, they are forced to leave home under the care of a vicious con man who claims to be their long-lost uncle Charlie, the only kin they have left. During a late-night poker game, when one of his rages ends in murder, they decide to flee.

Salvation arrives in the form of Mr. Jengling, founder of the Emporium of Wonders and father to its many members. He adopts Bolt and Eleanor, who travel by train across the vast, sometimes brutal American frontier with their new family, watching as the exhibitions spark amazement wherever they go. There’s Minnie, the three-legged lady, and Dr. Chui, who stands over seven feet tall; Thistle Britches, the clown with no nose, and Rosalie, who can foretell the death of anyone she meets.

After a lifetime of having only each other, Eleanor and Bolt are finally part of something bigger. But as Bolt falls in deeper with their new clan, he finds Eleanor pulling further away from him. And when Uncle Charlie picks up their trail, the twins find themselves facing a peril as strange as it is terrifying, one which will forever alter the trajectory of their lives. An ode to the misfits and the marginalized, One of Us is a riotous and singularly creepy celebration of the strange and the spectacular and of family in its many forms.

A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company

Critic reviews

“Only in Dan Chaon's hands does a rollicking tale of a traveling sideshow carnival, serial killer, and psychic orphaned twins become a complex, soaring elegy for an America that never was and never will be. One of Us is a brilliant novel and a beating heart in the darkness.”
—Paul Tremblay, New York Times bestselling author of Horror Movie and A Head Full of Ghosts

“One of Us is an immersive, thrilling, and wonderfully twisted funhouse mirror of a novel. Dan Chaon builds a reality just familiar enough to lure you in—then distorts it in the most unsettling, exhilarating ways. I couldn’t look away.”
—Danielle Trussoni, New York Times bestselling author of The Puzzle Box

“I’ve run off to join the circus, Ma! It’s Dan Chaon’s. And I don’t ever want to leave."
—Stephen Graham Jones, New York Times bestselling author of The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

"Chaon dazzles with his vision of family, strangeness, and the tension between care and exploitation. This captivating adventure is not to be missed."
—Publishers Weekly (starred)

"Chaon has also delivered a sharp thriller … Set mainly in 1915, the novel captures a vanished vaudeville world that Chaon resurrects in thoughtful detail, down to the era’s slang (ziggety, conflustered, woofits). But in its latter chapters, the novel is also powerfully otherworldly, deliberately warping assumptions about life, death, and the nature of souls…. A magic trick: A novel that’s both deeply unsettling and tenderhearted."
—Kirkus (starred)

Fabulous readers!

Fascinating story,filled with characters that seem to hold you in a spell.Most interesting novel I have read in years.The readers seemed to become the characters .
I recommend this to anyone who is interested in something different and historical at the same time!

Good but not great

Chaon's earlier works are among my favorite books, but this one wasn't quite so compelling. The characters were interesting and the narration good, but the story was lacking - good enough to keep listening, but never really great.

Creepy, intimate, dark, and daring.

Loved all of it - the circus / carnival atmosphere, the supernatural elements, the modern touches. Really enjoyed how Dan himself read his parts. The deep research into the milieu is evident, though I'm sure I missed some references. I appreciated Dan's Author's Note about this.

A mesmerizing story!

I loved this book! The characters are unique and beautifully developed. The action scenes are riveting. The plot hooks you from the beginning then pulls you through the fascinating world of America in 1915: immigrants desperately trying to plant roots in bleak Western towns haunted by the genocide of Native Americans, wondrous & sinister inventions, orphan trains, traveling carnivals, spiritualism—all mixing to create the 20th century American society & culture that would soon transform the world.

Creepy Multicast Naration

I usually whispersync between Kindle and Audible. This narration is so entertaining that I am “reading” only the Audible version and forging ahead with a different book on my Kindle. One of my top 5 narrations, and with over 500 audibles under my belt, I am on avid listener!