Sunday Wild Child

By: Ethel Cook-Wilson

Narrated by: Reagan Boggs

Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Sunday Wild Child captures the point of view of the mother as well as that of the daughter in this homespun tale of small town Florida life of the 40s and early 50s. It depicts a powerful, but disturbing, picture of poverty, racism, and juvenile cruelty. On the other hand, it showcases the strength of will to overcome those conditions through perseverance.

©2017 Ethel Cook-Wilson (P)2017 Ethel Cook-Wilson

Wonderful story of so much heartbreak and the stru

Any additional comments?

When I first saw this up for review I thought it would be more of a raw book on abuse and such but really it was a very well thought out book of two people mother and daughter telling their view points on the same issues as they happen. There is some abuse and racism along with a few other things but it is told with class that does shock you but not in an over bearing way. A mother has to deal with an abusive husband that needs to show his manhood by producing children. He started out as a wonderful father and husband turns to drinking and evil ways showing his true feeling not only to his family but the blacks in the town they are in. Going through one town after another with nothing to their name living on what jobs he can find leaving them with little or nothing to eat. One woman tries her best to be the best mother who came from money but was disowned when she married. She learns the hard way how to not only grow as a person but finds her back bone. To a daughter who is determined to not be like her mother she takes the world by storm getting in trouble showing the world no one will get her down. No man will ever treat her like her father treats her mother. As people look down on them, makes fun of them and talk about them this family stands proud.

Ms. Boggs narration is wonderful, her character voices are a delight from the tough hateful men to the lady who gives all, to the ones that try to take what do not belong to them. Her children voices really pull you in as they show their hurt, anger and stand proud. The narrator really puts a lot of emotion into this audio you can hear the desperation, anger, hope, fear, the little joy and happiness they have in her tones as she takes them through the years and all they learn. She really put a lot of thought into each character and how she would portray them. Her voices and tones give so much meaning to how the story builds and to what is happening. As she takes you on the journey the author writes, her voices keeps you spellbound taking you back in time when things were different and people got away with more in how the deal with each other. There are no background noises, no volume changes, no repeating of words. Her voices show true emotions that really pull you in. If any breaks were taken I could not tell. I was a very clean crisp audio that I got lost in. Ms. Boggs did an outstanding performance that I had trouble putting down. I found things to do so I could learn more about these characters and their lives. I loved her accents they really pull you in with the emotion she gives them. Her male voices were just as compelling as her females. As the story builds she takes you back in time giving you a heart wrenching compelling listen that hooks you and keeps your interests. My husband isn’t into audios but even he sit and listen for awhile. He even chuckled a few times at the slang and what was happening.

There were many characters that my heart went out to so many sad times that you wonder how they could go on. The one that hurt the most was a little color boy and all he went through. As the mother and daughter struggle to get along the author pulls you in from one issue to the next giving a compelling read of both sides. It is a story of compassion, heartbreak learning to start over and finding what truly is important as a family breaks apart and tries to pull its self back together. They lose it all and found their way back to the living, giving life new meaning and watch to see if justice will be served. It isn’t all bad or sad there were times I chuckled or laughed at the things they said or how something happened. You get to see a little of the turning point for them and those around them as a mother fights to keep her family together and a daughter fights to find her place in a world she do not understand. It was a pleasure listening to this audio watching Bonnie Blithe and Dixie Jo grow, change and learn not only how to deal with their own issues but each other. I loved the spunk of Dixie Jo as she learned to deal not only with an abusive father but the hurt words of others and finding her place in the world she finds herself in. Bonnie Blithe stole my heart when she rubbed her tummy and said let this be a boy as well as her strong nature to hold her family together and deal with a husband most women in today’s world would have wanted to shoot and some would have. The ending just about bought a tear to my eyes as they saw a man walking to them. You will never believe who it is and the touching scene that unfolds. I truly enjoyed this from start to finish. It will be an audio I will listen to again it is a heartwarming story with so much sadness and pain but truly a blessing in the outcome.

Sunday Wild Child

I LOVED this book! The tensions between a mother and daughter are very real and relatable.During the depression Bonnie is basically left alone by her husband only to get pregnant on every visit home.It is sometimes sad and sometimes funny.Reagan Boggs is a wonderful narrator.I was provided this book free for review by the author,narrator or publisher.

Great Story!

The detailed descriptions of the characters, surroundings and mannerisms made me feel like I was watching everything unfold. I truly enjoyed this book.

A Brilliantly Told Story of Family and Life

Sunday Wild Child was one of the best audiobooks I've had the pleasure of listening to. It's about living the life you have and not letting it live you. Survival through poverty and illness. This story was about raw (unprocessed) love and sheer will. I loved the character of Dixie Jo and also her mother Bonnie. I loved the alternating chapters of each one's parallel journey through decisions, outcomes, and heartfelt honesty. I'd highly recommend this audiobook by Ethel Cook-Wilson.

Reagan Boggs's performance was exquisite. She nailed the tone of the story with perfect voice inflections along with sounding exactly the way one would expect Dixie to sound. Bonnie's character as well. This was an excellent story.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this honest review.

It reminded me of Angela’s Ashes

Bonnie Blithe, the daughter of an accommodated couple from Florida, thinks she has found the love of her life, and going against her father’s wishes, she marries Elijah and leaves her home for good. But things are not what they seemed at first. Elijah is never home, never takes responsibility, and the only times he comes home, gets Bonnie Blithe pregnant, again and again. This is the story of Bonnie Blithe and one of her children, Dixie Joe, a wild and misunderstood soul.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction, set in the first half of the twentieth century. It somehow reminded me of Angela’s Ashes, but set in Florida instead of Ireland. The poverty this family lives in is real and sordid, the misery, neverending. Elijah is never there for them, and soon enough they stop caring. We witness some crude racial conflicts tinctured with violence and intolerance. Dixie Joe had great potential but was soon limited and prejudged by her mother due to Dixie Jo being his father’s daughter. Both women evolve separately with the hope of meeting halfway one day. This is a heartfelt tale, a coming of age story, intimate, sweet, and sour, in equal parts.

This book had all the right ingredients to be an amazing read, and it was, but I think I expected to become more emotionally attached to the characters, and somehow it did not completely happen. Something that I noticed is that both characters, Bonnie Blithe and Dixie Joe, described her life as something “on display”. I am not sure if this was intended or just an accident, as both had very different lives, and I was, for a moment, able to see the author in both characters, which momentarily broke the suspension of disbelief.

The narration was beautifully done by Reagan Boggs. She used subtle differences to voice both women, so it was easy to recognize who was talking. All characters were amazingly interpreted and brought to life. Boggs did also great with male voices. It definitely added value to the text.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Excellent narration of a well written story!

A totally captivating story from beginning to end. Narrator does an excellent job of capturing the characters.

sweet coming of age.

Ok I normally listen to Zombie books, or horror books, or the end of the world kind of books. This was a great little VACAY from them. it totally kept my interest. yea it wasn't full of drama, scary things or end of the world things; but it kept me entertained.
Its set back in the 40s. and told from a mother, and daughters point of view, Its about how they have overcome rotten things in their life. its a feel good read.

I really did enjoy this.

The Narrator, did an AMAZING job!

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

inspiring

I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. I totally enjoyed reading this book. It’s well written and the characters were fantastic. I would suggest this book to my friends that like this sort of genera. this was a good book.

Life in the South in the 50's.

Would you listen to Sunday Wild Child again? Why?

Yes I would listen to Sunday Wild Child again. It has many of the things that happened in that era.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Bonnie was my favorite character. She is so beaten down with having child after child. Being a almost a single parent but needing so much direction. She was not raised for this kind of life but is strong enough to survive it.

Which character – as performed by Reagan Boggs – was your favorite?

Reagan Boggs did a great job narrating this book.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did not want to put it down. I stayed up way to late trying to finish it.

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

I LOVED IT!

I absolutely loved it! This book caught my attention from the very beginning and held it throughout the entire book. This book was full of drama. It portrayed the struggles and hardships through the eyes of a mother and daughter. The narration was superb and gave the story that extra flair! It will keep you entertained! The author did an amazing job with the character builds and plot! look forward to reading more books from this author! I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.