Sweetland

By: Michael Crummey

Narrated by: John Lee

The scarcely populated town of Sweetland rests on the shore of a remote Canadian island. Its slow decline finally reaches a head when the mainland government offers each islander a generous resettlement package - the sole stipulation being that everyone must leave. Fierce and enigmatic Moses Sweetland, whose ancestors founded the village, is the only one to refuse. As he watches his neighbors abandon the island, he recalls the town's rugged history and its eccentric cast of characters. Evoking The Shipping News, Michael Crummey - one of Canada's finest novelists - conjures up the mythical, sublime world of Sweetland's past amid a storm-battered landscape haunted by local lore. As in his critically acclaimed novel Galore, Crummey masterfully weaves together past and present, creating in Sweetland a spectacular portrait of one man's battle to survive as his environment vanishes around him.

©2015 Original material, W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. (P)2015 HighBridge, a division of Recorded Books

Critic reviews

"Crummey lovingly carves out the privation and inner intricacies that mark his characters' lives with folkloric embellishments and the precision of the finest scrimshaw." (Publishers Weekly)

"Narrator John Lee's deep voice and rhythmic intonation are perfect for this beautiful novel.... Sweetland is a spectacular meld of story and performance." (AudioFile)

4.5

Weak ending is what gave this audible book a 4.5 rating. Narrator was excellent for this story.

What I would pay to have Gordon Pinsent narrate...

Great story - enjoyed it - lovely imagery and captured the spirit of deep bay Newfoundland very well. But as I sit here in St. John's, sitting in Tim Hortons, writing this review - how much of a great audibook this would have been if Gordon Pinsent, Andy Jones or someone who can pronounce by's, Burin, and even Newfoundland correctly had narrated it. They lost a character in the narration...but good story nonetheless!

Wonderful Book But.....

I only wish the narrator had been a Newfoundlander. This narrator tried to sound like a Newfoundlander but failed miserably

Worst. Reader. Ever.

If you're going to read a novel set in Newfoundland, at LEAST learn how to pronounce the province. My God, how annoying and insulting!

A wonderful, enveloping story

I loved this book so much that I read the Kindle version in a day, and then listened to the audiobook (beautifully narrated by John Lee).

Sweetland is the story of Moses Sweetland, who's lived on Sweetland Island all his life and resists governmental pressure to leave (the government wants to move island residents to the Newfoundland mainland). As we get to know Sweetland, we learn that he's generally a good guy who helps his neighbors and has a good heart. He's happy with his life and circumstances, and unwilling to easily give up his life on the island. The story comes into its own at the point when most island residents permanently depart for the mainland...

Without giving away too much, I was rooting for Sweetland -- the man and the island. This was a compelling and completely enveloping read. This is a wonderful story, regardless of format. However, highly recommend the audible version for John Lee's wonderful narration.