Raney

By: Clyde Edgerton

Narrated by: Ruth Ann Phimister

Clyde Edgerton’s ear for regional voices and his eye for life’s small but significant details enable him to create characters who are charming and utterly convincing. Beginning with an engagement announcement and ending with the birth of a son, Raney is a snapshot of the first few years of a modern Southern marriage. Newly married, Raney is a Southern Baptist who has lived her whole life in her tiny home town. Her husband, Charles, is a newcomer, a liberal raised in Atlanta. Amidst family traditions, curious relatives, and bowls of macaroni salad, their search for common ground begins. As Raney tells us about Charles’ beliefs and habits, and thus reveals her own, her honesty and gumption will capture your heart and tickle your funny bone.

Narrator Ruth Ann Phimister’s soft voice beautifully captures the emotional tides that rise and fall in Raney’s life.

©1985 Clyde Edgerton (P)1998 Recorded Books, LLC

Simple and Gratifying

Once again Edgerton weaves a story that feels like a trip back home...quaint as a visit with ones old aunties, funny as a late night of telling family folktales again, and ending too soon and a bit abruptly like all good visits down home do.

Culture shock in a young marriage

Would you listen to another book narrated by Ruth Ann Phimister?

Phimister did a great job of capturing the humor and the frustration of this couple, the only thing distracting is she sounds like an older southern lady, not a 24 year-old girl.

Any additional comments?

Raney remains an unreconstructed racist and casually uses racist epithets. I don't know how it's possible to still like her, except she's so young and sheltered and barely has an idea what's going on in her own circle, let alone outside it. She's never really examined or questioned her family's worldview. We deal with sexual mores, profanity, pornography, alcoholism, depression, and suicide. The racism isn't dealt with directly; it's part of the slowly changing background.

Great. book but use of n word was hard for me

good read but character use of n word was annoying. The book is funny. Raney is hilarious.

Fabulous read for book club discussion.

Where does Raney rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Five Star.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Raney. Raney reminds me of people I know.

What about Ruth Ann Phimister’s performance did you like?

Fabulous reader and singer.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed out loud.

Any additional comments?

This was our book club read for May. Raney and her family gave us many topics to discuss at our meeting. I would recommend this book as gift to anyone getting married. Raney's experiences were quiet real.

boring

There was absolutely nothing exciting about this book.. It was like listening to someone gossip about her family.No great story line. This was a book my book club picked or I would have quit a third of the way through