Audiobook Sample
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- Title: Where the Red Fern Grows
- Author: Wilson Rawls
- Narrator: Anthony Heald
- Length: 06:55:00
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 05/07/2000
- Publisher: Listening Library (Audio)
- Genre: Kids, Animals & Nature, Historical, Classics
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
It reminds me of a time when I was a kid, roaming the backroads of upstate New York with my mutt, Shadow, a scrappy little guy who’d chase anything that moved. We’d spend hours exploring the woods, him sniffing out trails I’d never have found on my own, me dreaming up adventures we’d tell the world about someday. That’s the kind of memory that came flooding back when I first hit play on “Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls, narrated by Anthony Heald. This audiobook experience isn’t just a story – it’s a portal to a simpler, wilder time, one where loyalty and love run as deep as the roots of an old oak.
The story unfolds like a dusty trail through the Ozarks, winding and rugged but always leading somewhere heartfelt. Billy Colman, our young hero, is a boy with a dream as big as the hills he calls home: to own two coonhounds. Against the backdrop of tough times, he scrapes together the cash for Old Dan and Little Ann, a pair of pups who become more than pets – they’re his partners, his family. Together, they hunt the valleys, their triumphs spreading like wildfire through the region. Rawls doesn’t shy away from the grit of it all – the sweat, the scrapes, the sheer will it takes to keep going. But then comes the punch you don’t see coming: tragedy strikes, and Billy’s left to wrestle with loss, hope, and the kind of lessons that carve themselves into your soul.
What got me hooked was how personal it felt. Listening to this audiobook, I couldn’t help but think of those evenings in Oaxaca, sitting cross-legged on a woven mat while Abuela spun tales of her village. Her voice had this way of pulling you in, making every word feel like it was meant just for you. Anthony Heald channels that same magic here. His narration is warm, steady, and down-to-earth, like a friend recounting a memory over a campfire. You can almost hear the rustle of leaves in the Ozarks, feel the damp fur of the hounds after a night’s hunt, taste the tang of woodsmoke in the air. Heald’s pacing is spot-on, letting the quiet moments breathe and the tense ones grip you tight. For a story so rooted in a kid’s perspective, his voice strikes that perfect balance – youthful enough to embody Billy, wise enough to carry the weight of Rawls’ reflections.
The audiobook experience shines brightest in how it brings out the book’s big themes: loyalty, resilience, and the bittersweet beauty of growing up. Old Dan’s brute strength and Little Ann’s cleverness aren’t just traits – they’re a testament to what partnership can do. Billy’s determination mirrors the kind of stubborn hope I’ve seen in people I’ve met on the road, from fishermen in Portugal to farmers in Peru. And when the story turns dark, it’s not cheap heartbreak – it’s the real stuff, the kind that teaches you something about holding on and letting go. Rawls wraps it all in this unadorned naturalness, as “Kirkus Reviews” put it, that feels like a conversation with someone who’s lived it.
Heald’s performance elevates every beat. His drawl gives the Ozark setting a lived-in authenticity, and his shifts in tone – gruff for Old Dan’s growls, tender for Little Ann’s softer moments – paint the dogs as characters you’d swear you’ve met. The audio quality is crisp, too, with no distracting effects – just pure storytelling, the way it should be. At just over seven hours, it’s the perfect length for a weekend road trip or a few cozy nights in.
That said, it’s not flawless. If you’re not into hunting tales or rural life, the early chapters might drag a bit – there’s a lot of detail about coon traps and tracking that could feel niche. And while Heald’s narration is stellar, I caught myself wishing for a touch more variation in the quieter scenes; they sometimes blend together. But these are small gripes in a listening experience that hits so many high notes.
Compared to other classics like “Old Yeller” or “The Call of the Wild”, “Where the Red Fern Grows” stands out for its intimacy. It’s less about the wild unknown and more about the bonds we build in it. I’d stack Heald’s narration up against any in the genre, too – it’s got the same grit and heart as Jim Weiss’s take on “The Yearling”, but with a warmer edge.
This audiobook’s for anyone who’s ever loved a dog, chased a dream, or learned a hard truth the long way. Kids will eat up the adventure; adults will linger on the ache. If you can snag it free – say, through a trial on Audiobooks.com – it’s a no-brainer. The free audiobook angle just sweetens the deal for a story that’s already worth every minute.
Reflecting on it now, I’m back in that desert in Chile, driving through the Atacama with “One Hundred Years of Solitude” in my ears. That narrator made the surreal feel real; Heald does the same here, grounding Rawls’ tale in something you can touch and feel. It’s the kind of audiobook that sticks with you, like a good travel memory – rough around the edges, but all the more precious for it.
Until the next story takes us somewhere new,
Marcus Rivera
