Harris Strickland welcomes you to the Kingdom of Quail, taking you on a journey of a lifetime, Luke Johnson’s journey to be more precise in this beautifully written novel that not only captivates your attention the entire time, but tugs at your heartstrings, too. Strickland’s descriptive details take you right alongside the characters, allowing you to see the world through eyes, as well as what they are thinking and feeling. Luke Johnson and his mom fell on hard times, but their luck changed when Angus Parker, a plantation owner, offers her a job and a place to live. Luke was a young boy then, but Angus saw potential in him and gave his own jobs around the plantation, mostly to keep him busy and to learn the lay of the land. He made friends there, first a boy Eugene, the son of a ground’s keeper, and then the Angus’s daughter, who was more of a tomboy then, but grew into her own and their friendship continued to grow and morph into more, a special bond. We watch the kids grow into adults, Luke opts to stay on the plantation, where he is faces challenges, losses and heartbreak, and after all that outsiders come in and want to buy all the property in the area to develop, and this becomes his latest challenge and with the help of Angus and his neighbors they come up with a plan. Luke brings one of those outsiders onto the plantation, the two grow close despite wanting different things with her working for the people who want to buy the land and him fighting to save it. I loved how everything played out in this book and all the layers of the story, a wonderfully plotted story. The world building and character growth and development are fantastic. Harris Strickland, thank you for this for this beautiful story and emotional rollercoaster ride.
🎧📚🎧 David Allen Vargo did an incredible job of bringing these characters and story to life. He covered the roles of all the characters, giving each their own distinct voice, making it easy to follow along and tell who was who. Vargo was excellent at performing both the male and female roles, the southern accents, and was believable in every role. His portrayal of each character was exceptional, showcasing every aspect of their personalities, capturing all their emotions and has you feeling each one. He sets the perfect tone for the story, handles the back-and-forth dialogue naturally and with ease. David Allen Vargo is an entertaining storyteller and his performance elevates this already wonderful story to another level. Thank you for another exceptional listen.