White River Red, Becky Marietta
White River Red, Becky Marietta
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

White River Red
A Novel

Author: Becky Marietta

Narrator: Gail Shalan

Unabridged: 10 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 12/07/2021

Synopsis

In 1906, fifteen-year-old Forrestina Bradley runs away from her stifling life of ease and joins the circus as a tightrope walker. After a tragedy forces her to leave the circus, she embarks on a life of nomadic adventure, running a carnival rat-game and becoming involved in an illegal dance hall and moonshine business near the banks of the White River in Arkansas during Prohibition. Along the way, she meets and loves three men—Max, Jack, and George—who each break her heart in vastly different ways. It’s a good thing that Forrestina is tough enough to survive the men in her life.

Tough enough to become a legend.

In 1972, Betty, a young reporter desperate to break into the boys' club of journalism, offers to interview the now-elderly Forrestina. What she discovers in Forrestina's story is a lesson of strength, resilience, friendship, and faith. She learns that though defying normal is often painful, for some brave souls it's the only way to truly live.

Inspired by a true story, White River Red: A Novel vividly portrays the tumults and triumphs of a rough, generous soul who touched countless lives with her kindness and courage.

About Becky Marietta

Becky Marietta's works of fiction, poetry, and essays have appeared in such publications as Bosque, the 3288 Review, Weber: The Contemporary West, and others. A resident of northeast Oklahoma, Becky teaches English at a small college in Arkansas. She writes fiction to escape the sometimes grim reality of grading composition papers.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Molly

Oh. My. Word. I am wiping the tears off my face as I write this review, because I have been sobbing over having to say good-bye to a character I love so very much. Red felt very real, like she was about to hop off the page and onto my front porch for a glass of lemonade and a long chat. She is every......more

Goodreads review by Stephanie

When 15 year old Forrestina Bradley runs away from her Missouri home in 1906, she dreams of becoming a circus aerialist. She joins up with the Ringling Brothers and soon begins training on the tightrope. Forrestina loves her circus life and the freedom it offers her. However, after a bad fall and a......more

Goodreads review by Lori

I don’t want it to be over. I am sitting here crying. I enjoyed every minute of White River Red’s story. If you are from Arkansas, please read this book. It is an Arkansas author and mostly set in Arkansas. I truly wasn’t expecting to be drawn in as much as I was. This book makes you realize we all......more

Goodreads review by Mikayla

3.75 STAR I got heavy “Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” vibes on a less glamorous scale, but equally adventurous. I’d say the first 60% was magical, but it lost that sparkle little by little as the story progressed. The story took on a much heavier theme, but I wouldn’t say that’s what diminished the a......more

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