The Last Days of Dogtown, Anita Diamant
The Last Days of Dogtown, Anita Diamant
32 Rating(s)
List: $25.99 | Sale: $18.20
Club: $12.99

The Last Days of Dogtown

Author: Anita Diamant

Narrator: Kate Nelligan

Unabridged: 10 hr 17 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/13/2005


Synopsis

“An excellent novel. A lovely and moving portrait of society’s outcasts…affirms the essential humanity of its poor and stubborn residents, for whom each day of survival is a victory” (The New York Times Book Review).

Set on the high ground at the heart of Cape Ann, the village of Dogtown is peopled by widows, orphans, spinsters, scoundrels, whores, free Africans, and “witches.” Among the inhabitants of this hamlet are Black Ruth, who dresses as a man and works as a stonemason; Mrs. Stanley, an imperious madam whose grandson, Sammy, comes of age in her brothel; Oliver Younger, who survives a miserable childhood at the hands of his aunt; and Cornelius Finson, a freed slave. At the center of it all is Judy Rhines, a fiercely independent soul, deeply lonely, who nonetheless builds a life for herself against all imaginable odds.

Rendered in stunning, haunting detail, with Anita Diamant’s keen ear for language and profound compassion for her characters, The Last Days of Dogtown is an extraordinary retelling of a long-forgotten chapter of early American life.

About Anita Diamant

Anita Diamant is the bestselling author of the novels The Boston Girl, The Red Tent, Good Harbor, The Last Days of Dogtown, and Day After Night, and the collection of essays, Pitching My Tent. An award-winning journalist whose work appeared in The Boston Globe Magazine and Parenting, and many others, she is the author of six nonfiction guides to contemporary Jewish life. She lives in Massachusetts. Visit her website at AnitaDiamant.com.

About Kate Nelligan

Kate Nelligan received Tony nominations for her performances in Spoils of War, Serious Money, A Moon for the Misbegotten, and Plenty, for which she also received the Olivier Award in London. Her films include How to Make an American Quilt, The Prince of Tides (Oscar nom), Frankie and Johnny (DW Griffith & British Academy Awards), Fatal Instinct, Eye of the Needle, Eleni, and White Room. She received an Emmy nomination for her performance on the television series The Road to Avonlea.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Jodi on September 01, 2008

After reading The Red Tent, I was eager to read more by this author. The blurb about this book stated ".....Dogtown is peopled by widow, orphans, spinsters, scoundrels, whores, free Africans and 'witches.'" Hmmmmm - sounds interesting. The blurb went on to talk about Ruth who dresses as a man and wo......more

Goodreads review by Stephanie on April 03, 2008

Here is the conversation I had with my husband the other night when I was on my way out the door to book club: HUSBAND: What book are you doing? ME: Last Days of Dogtown. HUSBAND: Cool… I still want to see the movie. ME: I’m pretty sure it hasn’t been made into a movie (trying to picture how a modern da......more

Goodreads review by Heidi on December 12, 2008

This has just become one of my favorite books... I can't imagine anyone could read this and not fall in love with Dogtown and its people. The characters are so well developed; some funny and quirky, others horrid and unloveable, and, of course, some honest and flawless. The description of the town a......more

Goodreads review by Chris on May 31, 2019

Despite the fact that I'm already reading several other books, those books seem to be lingering in the "OK, but not so compelling" category so I decided to pick this one up. Pretty pungent opening scene. Moving along ... as one G'reads reviewer complained, this is NOT a happy tale. It's about throwaw......more

Goodreads review by Kendra on January 20, 2020

After recently finishing (and loving) The Red Tent, I was excited to find another Anita Diamant book seemingly sitting on the shelf just waiting for me to pluck it up and take it home. Now that I've finished it, I have to say I'm disappointed. TLDOG is about the last citizens of a small town in Mass......more