Reviews
“Mix one young and gullible Bible salesman with a career criminal, set them on the back roads of 1930s North Carolina, and you’ll hear one enjoyable yarn. Narrator T. Ryder Smith wraps his soft-spoken delivery around the comic antics and sudden violence with an ease and assuredness that transcend the written word. A chance meeting between Bible salesman Henry Dampier and “undercover” G-man Preston Clearwater sets one on the path of enlightenment and the other on the path of justice. Characters remark about the absurdity of a life in poverty with insouciance, and Smith shines brightest when portraying the lovable country folk as they eke out lives of quiet desperation with guidance from their Bibles.”
– R. O., Audiofile magazine
“Smith’s gently lulling lite-southern accent is not overdone in this sweetly humorous, post-World War II thriller set in North Carolina. Listeners will warm to the reader’s easy, informal, sitting-on-the-porch storytelling manner, which complements the tale of Henry, a 20-year-old traveling Bible salesman who is duped into assisting a murderous car thief who claims to be an undercover FBI agent. Sworn to secrecy, the decent, God-fearing Henry proves worthy of tasks that he believes aid the government. He meets Marlene, who staffs a roadside fruit stand, and Smith’s tender reading as the two small-town southerners talk, flirt, and fall in love is totally convincing. He is especially on-target when depicting Marlene’s hopeful tones edged with rue. Smith’s portrayal of Henry’s family members rings equally true.”
– Whitney Scott, Booklist
“Yow! I listened to this book on tape. The reader captured all the nuances of various Southern accents of the time (1930’s -40’s). I recommend it on tape. This is the story of a naive country boy that sets out selling Bibles door to door to country folk. By chance he hooks up with a con artist/car thief who represents himself as an FBI agent that could use a reliable assistant. Throughout the course of the book the boy questions the meaning of the Bible, the meaning of life and the true nature of his employer, the FBI agent.”
– J., Goodreads
“An Outstanding Performance of a Memorable Story. The Bible Salesman was my first taste of Clyde Edgerton. I will surely return for more … T. Ryder Smith’s narration of The Bible Salesman is simply the most amazing audio book performance I have heard. His voice not only was unique to each and every of the many characters (including a wonderful collection of “talking” cats), but the visual images conjured into my mind’s eye for every character was immediate and as vivid as if I were watching a film. The combination of Mr. Smith’s great talent, and Mr. Edgerton’s art made this an outstanding experience.”
– reader from Waukegan, Illinois, Recorded Books Library
Other
With Audiofile’s Excellence in Narration award.
