• Thirteen Moons

  • A Novel
  • By: Charles Frazier
  • Narrated by: Will Patton
  • Length: 6 hrs and 15 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (43 ratings)

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Thirteen Moons  By  cover art

Thirteen Moons

By: Charles Frazier
Narrated by: Will Patton
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Publisher's summary

This magnificent novel by one of America’s finest writers is the epic of one man’s remarkable journey, set in nineteenth-century America against the background of a vanishing people and a rich way of life.

At the age of twelve, under the Wind moon, Will is given a horse, a key, and a map, and sent alone into the Indian Nation to run a trading post as a bound boy. It is during this time that he grows into a man, learning, as he does, of the raw power it takes to create a life, to find a home. In a card game with a white Indian named Featherstone, Will wins–for a brief moment–a mysterious girl named Claire, and his passion and desire for her spans this novel. As Will’s destiny intertwines with the fate of the Cherokee Indians–including a Cherokee Chief named Bear–he learns how to fight and survive in the face of both nature and men, and eventually, under the Corn Tassel Moon, Will begins the fight against Washington City to preserve the Cherokee’s homeland and culture. And he will come to know the truth behind his belief that “only desire trumps time.”

Brilliantly imagined, written with great power and beauty by a master of American fiction, Thirteen Moons is a stunning novel about a man’s passion for a woman, and how loss, longing and love can shape a man’s destiny over the many moons of a life.

Don't miss Charles Frazier's debut novel, Cold Mountain.
©2006 3 Crows Corporation (P)2006 Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Gorgeous…Thirteen Moons calls Cold Mountain to mind in its wonder at the natural world; its pacificist undercurrents; its dismay at the dismantling of what matters, and its convication that one love, no matter how tortured and inexplicable, can be life-defining…fascinating…vivid and alive."–Newsweek

"Thirteen Moons brings this vanished world thrillingly to life… One of the great Native American, and American stories, and a great gift to all of us, from one of our very best writers."–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"There are things so masterful words can’t do them justice. Frazier’s writing falls in that category…With Thirteen Moons, he’s doing important work filling in the gaps, helping restore the roots, of our knowledge of our own history."–Asheville Citizen-Times

What listeners say about Thirteen Moons

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Fantastic

The point of stories is to take us away from our day to day lives. No one does this better than Charles Frazier. You expect exceptional writing and storytelling when you buy a Frazier novel and he delivers each time. I read the book and months later bought the audio version for a road trip. I never do that. However, I wanted to hear Will Patton read this and it was much richer than my silent reading. Will Patton is at his best with his audio projects. Damn good actor, too. Frazier's prose, Patton's reading, character voices, and depth - the perfect combination.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Mediocre

While I’ll have to admit I’m not familiar with this author (except for Cold Mountain as depicted in the movie), I found this to be slightly slow and anti-climactic. I’m pretty sure had it not been for Will Payton’s excellent story-telling abilities I’d have abandoned the book before the half-way point.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Average read

The story was slow and choppy. I did not find it as engaging as I would expect from Frazier. It seemed like characters were just dropped. Some parts seemed very unlikely. Loved Cold Mountain but this did not compare.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Dry. Very dry.

Narration is good. There is no excitement in the story. Very dry, step by step historical storytelling. Take some No- Dose. Again the voice was good.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Va
  • 10-01-21

Great performance!

I will listen to ANYTHING Will Patton performs! A true actor on page.
The book was so charming and sad too.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

A River of a Story

There's no actual river featured in this story; the story itself flows just like that - medium narrow mostly smooth. The writing is a steady stream of reflective and beautiful. The narration is fittingly soft, hushed, and gravelly.

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