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    Backlands
    Backlands
    Backlands
    Audiobook14 hours

    Backlands

    Written by Michael McGarrity

    Narrated by George Guidall

    4.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Michael McGarrity returns with the second installment of his sweeping, richly authentic New York Times bestselling American West trilogy set in the raw, untrammeled New Mexico backlands during the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and World War II. Hard Country , the first novel in the Kerney family trilogy and the debut prequel to his national bestselling Kevin Kerney crime novels, was critically acclaimed for its authentic, gritty realism; its sprawling, engrossing story; and its compelling, engaging characters. An instant hit on several national bestseller lists, Hard Country continues to attract an overwhelmingly positive response from critics, booksellers, and readers. Backlands advances the story of Patrick Kerney; his ex-wife, Emma; and their young son, Matthew, shortly after the tragic battlefield death of their eldest son, CJ, at the end of World War I. Scarred by the loss of an older brother he idolized, estranged from a father he barely knows, and deeply troubled by the failing health of a mother he adores, eight-year-old Matthew is suddenly and irrevocably forced to set aside his childhood and take on responsibilities far beyond his years. When the world spirals into the Great Depression and drought settles like a plague over the nation, Matt must abandon his own dreams to salvage the Kerney ranch. Plunged into a deep trough of dark family secrets, hidden crimes, broken promises, and lies, Matt must struggle to survive on the unforgiving, sun-blasted, drought-stricken Tularosa Basin. An expansive, epic tale like Philipp Meyer' s The Son , and in the wonderful storyteller vein of Larry McMurtry' s Lonesome Dove , McGarrity' s Backlands showcases his keen eye for historical detail, awe-inspiring scenery, and the bitter harshness of life on the last vestiges of the twentieth-century frontier West.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateMay 6, 2014
    ISBN9781490618777
    Backlands
    Author

    Michael McGarrity

    Michael McGarrity is the author of the Kevin Kerney mystery novels including Tularosa, nominated for an Anthony Award; Mexican Hat; and Serpent Gate. A former Santa Fe County deputy sheriff, he also served as an instructor at the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy and as an investigator for the New Mexico Public Defender’s Office. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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    Reviews for Backlands

    4.5/5

    31 ratings2 reviews

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    • 5/5
      This is really one of the best, most epic stories I've ever read! It is on par with Micheners' Texas. McGarrity writes about New Mexico - the land, the history, and the people with such empathy, honesty, and genuine love. I was born in Roswell but family moved East while I was still a baby, but, as an adult, something calls me back to this land over and over again. I have traveled and loved this part of New Mexico for many years now and this story just brings me back. The Kerney family and the ghosts of Tularosa shine in the book. Thank you to the author for such a great series. And thank you to George Guidall for bringing the voice of New Mexico to life.
    • 5/5
      This is the second book in this saga of a family on the American South West frontier. I have enjoyed both of these books. They are well written and solidly told historical fiction.

      I look forward to the third in the series and plan to try other of Michel McGarrity's books.