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Title details for The Magic Kingdom by Russell Banks - Available

The Magic Kingdom

A Novel

by Russell Banks
Danny Campbell
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
From one of America’s most beloved storytellers: a dazzling tapestry of love and faith, memory and imagination that questions what it means to look back and accept one’s place in history. In 1971, Harley Mann revisits his childhood, recounting his family's move to Florida’s swamplands—mere miles away from what would become Disney World—to join a community of Shakers.
“Eerily timely. Can what’s gone wrong in the past offer keys to the future? The Magic Kingdom confronts our longings for Paradise; also the inner serpents that are to be found in all such enchanted gardens.” —Margaret Atwood, author of The Testaments, via Twitter
Property speculator Harley Mann begins recording his life story onto a reel-to-reel machine, reflecting on his youth in the early twentieth century. He recounts that after his father’s sudden death, his family migrated down to Florida to join a Shaker colony. Led by Elder John, a generous man with a mysterious past, the colony devoted itself to labor, faith, and charity, rejecting all temptations that lay beyond the property. Though this way of life initially saved Harley and his family from complete ruin, when Harley began falling in love with Sadie Pratt, a consumptive patient living on the grounds, his loyalty to the Shakers and their conservative worldview grew strained and, ultimately, broke.
As Harley dictates his story across more than half a century—meditating on youth, Florida’s everchanging landscape, and the search for an American utopia—the truth about Sadie, Elder John, and the Shakers comes to light, clarifying the past and present alike. With an expert eye and stunning vision, Russell Banks delivers a wholly captivating portrait of a man navigating Americana and the passage of time.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    November 8, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593627914
      • File size: 408635 KB
      • Duration: 14:11:19

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      It's hard to believe that a single narrator, Danny Campbell, is delivering this confessional novel. Listeners will swear they're hearing the actual reel-to-reel tapes of Harley Mann, made in 1971. He's telling his life story, which involves the Shaker community called New Bethany in Florida's swamplands--what is now Disney World. Campbell sounds like the garrulous old man Harley is purported to be. He rambles on at times, repeats himself, and succumbs to emotional outbursts when he describes forbidden love, jealousy, and his betrayal of the only family he ever knew. MacLeod Andrews delivers the foreword and afterword. The novel may be overly long and detailed, but it will move listeners with its authenticity and candor. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      As a child, Harley Mann moved from the pastoral paradise of a Ruskinite colony to an impoverished plantation, finally landing at the Floridian Shaker settlement of New Bethany. Having lost his father, Harley was immediately and indelibly drawn to Elder John Bennett, their mysterious, masculine leader. Presented as a transcript of Mann's musings, the narrative follows his journey through love and loss as he grows from an innocent religious novitiate into an intrepid real estate developer who would eventually see his Shaker Shangri-La become the site of Walt Disney World. Banks (Lost Memory of Skin) crafts an eloquent literary fiction full of immersive detail and engaging drama. Narrator Danny Campbell transports listeners with his uncomplicated, approachable portrayal of Harley; one can clearly envision the wistful, wily octogenarian ruminating on his front porch. Meanwhile, MacLeod Andrews, featured in the foreword and afterword, adds an air of authenticity as the author who allegedly discovered and transcribed Mann's recordings. VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking a complex, character-driven coming-of-age historical fiction about belonging and betrayal. Recommended for fans of William Kent Krueger, Ann Patchett, and Jonathan Franzen.--Lauren Hackert

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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