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    The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
    The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
    The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
    Audiobook9 hours

    The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm

    Written by Nancy Farmer

    Narrated by George Guidall

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    You're about to enter the world of the future-a world turned inside out and upside down, beyond anything you've ever imagined. Zimbabwe, 2194. General Matsika's three children sneak out of the house on a forbidden adventure and disappear. Immediately, the general calls Africa's most unusual detectives: the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm. Together, these three detectives combine their superhuman powers to find the missisng children. It's a dangerous mission that leads them from the seedy streets of the Cow's Guts to the swaying top of the Mile-High MacIlwaine Hotel. With the evil spirits of the past and the villains of the future chasing them all the way, can the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm find the Matsika children before it's too late? African tribal folklore meets futuristic technology in this brilliantly imaginative Newbery Honor Book. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm blends adventure, laugh-out-loud humor, and an unforgettable cast of characters (black, brown, white, and even blue) into an extraordinary tale that listeners wil find unforgettable.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateDec 4, 2015
    ISBN9781490672823
    The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm
    Author

    Nancy Farmer

    Nancy Farmer has written three Newbery Honor books: The Ear, the Eye and the Arm; A Girl Named Disaster; and The House of the Scorpion, which also won the National Book Award and the Printz Honor. Other books include The Lord of Opium, The Sea of Trolls, The Land of the Silver Apples, The Islands of the Blessed, Do You Know Me, The Warm Place, and three picture books for young children. She grew up on the Arizona-Mexico border and now lives with her family in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona.

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    Reviews for The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm

    4/5

    422 ratings24 reviews

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    • 5/5
      children's adventure fiction (a futurist Zimbabwe with robots, and ancestral spirits; Tendai is about to turn 14). This award winner should be counted among the classics along with A Wrinkle in Time. There is violence but only a little blood--somehow it is made more slapstick than graphic, but the Masks gang is established as a terrorist group (which brings up new, too-real associations since the original publications) that tortuously kills children and other people as sacrifices to the spirit world.
    • 3/5
      The year is 2194 in Zimbabwe, Africa. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm takes place in a world of computer animated Dobermans and genetically engineered monkeys; a world where creatures called She Elephants (that aren't actually elephants) mine for plastic in a toxic dump. Robots and rockets are the norm. Basically, insert your favorite sci-fi stereotype here. It is also a world full of ancient African cultures and traditions. Witchcraft, spirits, and powers beyond human recognition rule the landscape.In this landscape are Tendai, Rita, and Kuda. They are the overprotected and bored children of General Matsika, Chief of Security. Matisika has too many enemies so homeschooling, work, play; essentially his children's every blessed second is spent behind gigantic heavily guarded walls. Much to his father's disappointment, Tendai, the oldest child, will never make a good warrior. Tendai is the gentlest and most sensitive of all the children. He has the ability to physically feel the harm done to others. Rita, the middle child, is fiery and headstrong; not afraid to speak her mind or start a fight with anyone, human or otherwise. Kuda, by default the youngest, is impetuous and bold; simply not afraid of anything. Confined as they are, the three children are eager to break out of their homemade prison when given the chance. And rest assured, break out they finally do. There wouldn't be a story otherwise. Once the Matsika children find a way to trick their babysitter, the adventure outside the fortified mansion begins and it is not what any of them expected. Sold into slavery, the children are forced to work along side the vlei people sorting trash for a tyrant so large she is called "She Elephant." It is not a spoiler to say they escape from this predicament only to fall in the trap of another and another and another. General Matsika, consumed with remorse for letting down his guard for a second, hires a mutant detective agency called Ear, Eye, Arm to find his children. Ear has super sensitive hearing. Eye (you guessed it) has super sight. Arm is the most unique of all as he can feel empathy to the point of seeing into one’s soul. Together they chase the children from one entrapment to the other. The ending combines science fiction with ancient African customs for a Hollywood ending.
    • 4/5
      What a great story, with lessons that extend beyond what is actually written. Set about 170 years in the future in Zimbabwe, 3 children go off on an adventure, but trouble follows.Farmer turns around so many standards in American writing: There is no mention of anyone being black, but the 1 white protagonist is defined a couple of times as being white; the children realize they could get a Scout badge in Anthropology for studying the "British tribe".
    • 4/5
      Set in Zimbabwe in the 2194, the story follows the three overprotected siblings of General Matsika, who leave their mansion to explore the city for the first time. They are nearly immediately kidnapped, forced into slavery, and then escape only to find themselves held against their will in three other, very different circumstances before finally finding their way back to their parents and safety. This Newbery Honor Book has an interesting way of blending an vision of the future with the traditions of Zimbabwe's past, and the plot and characters are engaging and fun to follow, too. I'm still thinking through my thoughts about this being written (in the mid-90s) by a white woman and how that affects the story; I would love to read a response to the book by a POC, or better yet, read a retelling or a sequel by the same.
    • 5/5
      love Love LOVE!
    • 4/5
      Tendai, Kuda, and Rita are the sheltered children of the chief of security of a futuristic Zimbabwe. When they decide they want to have an adventure, they manage to sneak off their property out into the underbelly of the city. There, they fall off the radar, and their father hires three detectives with special powers (Ear, Eye, and Arm) to find the lost children. The story jumps between narratives of Ear, Eye, and Arm and of the kids. This was a fantastic adventure story in a futuristic land. I've loved several of Farmer's books, and this one didn't disappoint. I loved the way she split the story so that we could see both the pursuers and the pursued. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes kid's science fiction, or to kids between the ages of 9-12. I wish my nephew read, because I'd insist he read it. :)
    • 4/5
      Exciting adventure set in Zimbabwe in 2194. Also deftly explores the clash of historical traditions with the future technologies & societies. Lots of page-turning action and well-developed characters, plus lively dialogue and a good sprinkling of humor. Not just for children (ages 11 up), or just for science fiction fans.
    • 4/5
      A great young adult book, solid from start to finish. Set in 2194, science fiction and fantasy blend almost seamlessly. Three children, led by Tendai, an almost-14 year old, escape from the over-protective father, the feared but mostly benevolent General Matsika, to go on an adventure in a Zimbabwe that is half very modern and half very ancient. Kidnapped almost immediately, their story makes about about 60% of the book. The other 40% goes to the Ear, the Eye, and the Arm of the title -- three mutants with enhanced senses who run a down and out detective agency. Part of the delight of the book is the rich variety of places, characters, and mythology that contextualize the tale. Farmer manages to do this with a minimum of info-dumps. There's a brief glossary cum history at the end that, like the glossary added to some editions of Clockwork Orange, serves mostly to confirm what you've already inferred in reading. The other delight is Farmer's ability to occasionally make her world more real through a casual phrase or observation.Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      There was a lot that I really enjoyed about this book - stories of Zimbabwe, especially some of the ancient culture and the beliefs, the interesting characters - great child protagonists, and a great sense of humor in many of the situations. But, the plot seemed to meander around and then at the climax, an arbitrary event occurs to resolve a very major conflict (no spoilers so this is vague). It almost seemed like it was time to wrap it up and that was a quick and easy ending. This is my 3rd book by Nancy Farmer and my least favorite, but still a good overall story.
    • 3/5
      Affecting story of the 3 kidnapped children of General Matsika. Set in a dystopian future Nairobi, and full of interesting characters.
    • 3/5
      I wavered for awhile between three and four stars. There were parts of this I liked a lot, the world they moved through with elements from current politics, folklore, myth, history mixed together to make an imagined future Africa;that was pretty fascinating. There were some terrific and weird characters too. I ended up on three stars though because although the world was fascinating the plot was a bit static. The kids would have a burst of activity and escape or get lost or get stolen and then they'd just settle down in a new neighborhood with a new set of captors for another month or two, then suddenly it would happen again and they'd be in a new place where they'd settle down. Felt like big sections of the plot were just a way to see all these different neighborhoods and meet all these different people. Interesting neighborhoods and interesting people, but still.
    • 2/5
      The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm was a interesting book. I first tried to read it when I was in grade 6, but couldn't get past the first page. I tried in grade 7 again, determinded that I was going to read that book. The second time around I actually finished the book. I was quite surprised by the book. It was an odd book about 3 spys and some children but when I finished the book, I was sort of satisfied. It's not one of those kinds of books that I could read again but I give it 2 stars.
    • 4/5
      This was recommended to me based on my love of Nnedi Okorafor's writing, as The Ear, the Eye and the Arm is a similar fantasy tale set in Africa. While not quite as good as Okorafor, this is a fantastic book. The fantasy fits nicely into the world Farmer has created and the characters are all vivid. What I especially liked was that even through the ridiculousness that goes on throughout the novel, you don't feel like it's crazy because it just works so perfectly in that world. Having only read one other Framer book, I was deeply impressed by The Ear, the Eye and the Arm, as it was nothing like The House of the Scorpion (which I also liked), and it was so much better. I may have to try some of her other books in the future. I liked the idea of these three kids trying to do what's right, getting caught up in things they don't understand, only to have what's right actually slip through the cracks and happen anyway (at least in most cases). And as for The Ear, the Eye and the Arm themselves? They are some of the funniest and cleverest adult characters I've read in a fantasy novel in a long time.
    • 4/5
      This book is very well written and unique. The characters are all interesting and the world - though tough - is intriguing. The repeated miseries and out-of-the-frying-pan-and-into-the-fire situations that the three kids face made for rather grim reading and I was impatient throughout the book for them to make it to safety.
    • 4/5
      If you haven't kept up with children's books over the last couple decades, you may have missed a terrific author. Nancy Farmer's books have covered topics such as cloning, long-term effects of pollutants, social progress and culture change. In The ear, the eye and the arm, she takes us to Zimbambwe in the year 2194, when General Matsika, chief of security, suddenly finds that his three children went on an Explorer Scout adventure alone into the city center and were kidnapped. The kidnappers distracted them with an illegal blue mutant monkey--then chloroformed them. The three detectives hired to find the children are called Ear, Arm and Eye, because of their unique skills. Arm has extremely long arms and legs and he can sense emotions as well as having premonitions; Ear has extremely sensitive hearing; and Eye, of course, can see the fleas on an eagle. Their mothers lived in a village near a nuclear reactor which leaked plutonium into their water. The story gives us a tour of the huge city of Harare, from the busy market to the toxic waste dump where the poorest, slaves, mine for plastic and then on to a small traditionally African country contained within Harare, completely cut off from technology, medicine and the laws. The children are nearly rescued by the detectives time and time again, but there is a conspiracy, some African black magic, and a fine dinner at the top of the highest building in Harare before the great ruckus brings it all to a satisfying end. Be sure to take special note of the excellent Shona word shooper. We don't have an English equivalent: it means to say the one thing calculated to keep an argument going (or get it started). Some of you, I'm sure, know someone who is an inveterate shooperer, like Tendai's sister Rita, or you immediately think of that blatant shooperism, such as "Just what do you mean by that?"
    • 5/5
      I've read a lot of science fiction and fantasy and a lot of children's literature over the years. This book is going onto my list of all-time favorites. I've often longed for a sff book that featured black protagonists who were not just background, or sidekicks, or stereotypes, or symbolic of an ideal, etc. The protagonists in this book are children with both faults and admirable qualities--just what I've been looking for---and adults who have the same blend of good and bad, childishness and maturity, that makes them real enough to engage with. The characters, though reasonably realistic, still have a larger than life appeal that makes for great fantasy fiction. The fantasy elements were integral, not just patched into the story to give it the flavor of otherness. I especially loved the curious blend of high tech science fiction elements and what I believe to be fantastical elements rooted in real African traditional beliefs. Best of all, the writing is of great quality. The author understands how to plot, how to choose words carefully, and how to create characters with whom the readers will want to go on this journey.In short, the novel is fantastic.
    • 4/5
      This is like 4 books in one. The first is the story of three kids, living a sheltered and rather boring life, who set off on a series of adventures. The second is a sci-fi look at what life might be like in a future Africa, with robots and mutants and mile high buildings. The third is a mystery with three unusual detectives searching for some kidnapped children. And the last book is a examination of what happens when modern people try to return to a traditionally tribal way of life. How much you enjoy this book seems to depend on how much you like any or all of those kinds of stories.We read this for book club, and I enjoyed it more than anyone else. Some of the other readers admitted that they weren't fans of science fiction, or that they had a hard time imagining that kind of future world. But I guess I was caught up in the adventure of the story and didn't worry too much about how it all worked together. It just sort of worked, for me. I really liked Tendai, the oldest of the three kids whose trip to the city sets off the whole chain of events. I admit that it was a bit much to believe that they just continued from one set of adventures to the next, falling into the wrong hands at every turn, and somehow managing to escape. But I didn't care much. I liked it anyway. I liked that we got to see how Tendai grew from an insecure, serious boy who only wants to please his father into someone who cares about his brother and sister, who wants to protect them, and isn't afraid to save himself.I would recommend this one. Yes, there's a lot going on, but it seems like you either like it or you don't, and it's hard to predict which it's going to be. I wouldn't have picked it up at all if it hadn't been for book club, and I really enjoyed it. 4 stars
    • 3/5
      In the future, Zimbabwe has very poor people, and very rich people. The children of a general are kidnapped. Three mutant detectives search for them.
    • 4/5
      Nancy Farmer does a great job of using a standard plot to develop a very non-standard story. Set what seems to be the near future in Zimbabwe, the story is of naive and over-protected rich kids turned loose in a world of enormous contrasts. Part of their adventure is set in a vast domain of abandoned trash and refuse, where slaves mine for valuables. Another part is spent in a protected preserve where the residents have returned to the idyllic live of ancient ancestors. The children find strength and resourcefulness they didn't know they had to survive and keep one step ahead of the evil forces. Unfortunately, they are also one step ahead of the detectives their father has sent to find them.There is enough science, derring-do and fancy weapons to satisfy the action fan, enough soul-searching and discovery of hidden feelings to satisfy the introspective reader, and enough humor to satisfy everyone.
    • 4/5
      My mom read this to us when we were kids and I remember liking it so much that I picked it up again. It's definitely for young adults, but still a good read.
    • 4/5
      This is a wonderful story made even more rich with Nancy Farmers vivid descriptions. It's beautifully written, and the originallity of the story makes it a refreshing addition to any library. While it's apparently geared toward children (middle grade to teen), the complexity of the story coupled with Nancy Farmer's wonderful storytelling, will captivate adults as well.
    • 5/5
      The book is a fantasy adventure involving three siblings who leave their sheltered life and take off in the year 2194 in Zimbabwe to earn scout badges. Their adventure into the city finds them lost in an area of the city that has been devastated by chemical contamination. Their desperate parents hire three detectives with mystical powers to locate the lost children. Technological advances have created genetic blue monkeys that can talk, halophones, flying buses, housekeeping and pet robots, nirvana guns that induce sleep and much more. The story has many themes and different characters in each new setting which becomes rather complex; However, the story flows like a detective story with the reader following clues and predicting outcomes. The flow is consistent enough to keep the reader intrigued without being lost in the multiple scenarios the children encounter.Good read for middle school age children.
    • 5/5
      A very refreshing different kind of book.
    • 4/5
      Nancy Farmer is very cool. All of her books are completely different, but I love them all. This is a wonderful coming of age story set in Zimbabwe in the near future. It reads very much like a traditional folk tale or fairy tale. Enjoyable and thoughtful.