The Which Way Tree

By: Elizabeth Crook

Narrated by: Will Collyer

Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

The poignant odyssey of a tenacious young girl who braves the dangers of the Texas frontier to avenge her mother's death

Early one morning in the remote hill country of Texas, a panther savagely attacks a family of homesteaders, mauling a young girl named Samantha and killing her mother, whose final act is to save her daughter's life. Samantha and her half-brother, Benjamin, survive, but she is left traumatized, her face horribly scarred.

Narrated in Benjamin's beguilingly plainspoken voice, The Which Way Tree is the story of Samantha's unshakeable resolve to stalk and kill the infamous panther, rumored across the Rio Grande to be a demon, and avenge her mother's death. In their quest she and Benjamin, now orphaned, enlist a charismatic Tejano outlaw and a haunted, compassionate preacher with an aging but relentless tracking dog. As the members of this unlikely posse hunt the panther, they are in turn pursued by a hapless but sadistic Confederate soldier with troubled family ties to the preacher and a score to settle.

In the tradition of the great pursuit narratives, The Which Way Tree is a breathtaking saga of one steadfast girl's revenge against an implacable and unknowable beast. Yet with the comedic undertones of Benjamin's storytelling, it is also a timeless tale full of warmth and humor, and a testament to the enduring love that carries a sister and brother through a perilous adventure with all the dimensions of a legend.

©2018 Elizabeth Crook (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"The Which Way Tree is one part Track of the Cat, one part True Grit, and one part Tom Sawyer, a ruthless pedigree for a novel that displays human nature in its most beautiful form - a marvel." (Craig Johnson, New York Times best-selling author of The Western Star, a Walt Longmire mystery)

"When I began to read this book its unique voice appealed to me immediately. Elizabeth Crook has written a beautiful novel with wonderful characters." (Robert Duvall)

"Poignant and plainspoken...Crook crafts Benjamin's narration beautifully, finding a winning balance between naivete and wisdom, thoughtfulness and grit." (Publishers Weekly)

Terrific story, terrific performance

Crook's story has everything: adventure, a quest, a pitch-perfect narrative voice, literary wit, heart, history. The book is a delight, and I was sad to finish it.
Collyer's performance is a marvel, capturing the longingsickness, pragmatism, and exasperation of a young man with a great weight to bear, the fierce monomania and self-advocacy of his sister, as well as the kindness, murderousness, or basic decency of various other characters.

Loved listening to this book

The story was well spun and captivating. A window into another time. The characters human and compelling. The narration was excellent.

Wonderful wonderful book

I simply love everything about this book. Thank you. It will live with me for a long while

An Imaginative Tale, Well Told

It's been a long time since I've enjoy a story this much. The story of the panther hunt is unique. The characters engaged in the hunt are real and relatable. While not actually a 'Christian' story, I appreciate that the Christian characters are depicted as true to those values, something rarely seen in books, movies, and TV these days. I loved the expressions of the main character and story teller, reflecting the language usage of the time and place. And the narrator's performance of that language and voices of the other characters was exceptional.

Great listen

I had no idea what to expect from this book. I was more than pleasantly surprised. Great story with lots of twists and turns. Nice sprinkles of humor. I highly recommend! 👏👏

Historical fiction as it should be

A well-earned five stars. This is historical fiction as it should be, and I enjoyed every minute of the audiobook. Will Collyer did an outstanding job of narration.

The setting was country I know, having lived for 21 years in the same Texas county where part of the story is told, and the rest happening in the next county over. The language was authentic, the characters very unique, and the plot simple but wonderfully realized.

Highly recommended for historical fiction readers, especially those with an interest in Texas and its people.

Similar:
The Mule Tamer by John C. Horst
New of the World by Paulette Jiles
Deer Run Trail by David R. Lewis

Great listening for cross country drive

Entertaining and enjoyable with the historical references of my home state of Texas. Humor mixed with a tale of struggles in the developing territory and lives of the settlers.

McMurtry meets True Grit and Goodby to a River

Well conceived and written - truly moving in it’s ending. One that I suspect I’ll revisit many times.

Wonderful

It seems to me that this book was written to be read aloud. I was totally sucked into the story and listened to the whole book in one day. It was so unique from other books that afterwards I needed to take a break from Audible for a few days and listen to podcasts. There just was no other book I tried after finishing this one that satisfied the storytelling my brain had gotten used to. It's really quite wonderful and I think it will stay with you.

A Must Read!

Wow! I loved this book so much! The story was captivating, the characters were raw and real and the life lessons were powerful. I haven’t felt this connected to a fictional character since Holden Caulfield. I’m going to miss having Benjamin in my life! I highly recommend listening to it on Audible. Will Collyer’s performance was fabulous.