THE BIG INCH
Misfits and Millionaires #1
by
KIMBERLY FISH
Narrated by Sydney Young
Narrated by Sydney Young
Genre: Historical Fiction / Romance / WWII Spies
Publisher: Fish Tales Publishing
Publisher: Fish Tales Publishing
Date of Publication: August 1, 2018
Length: 10 hours, 22 minutes
Scroll down for the giveaway!
PRAISE FOR THE BIG INCH:
“Narrator Makes Book Exciting!”
-- 5 Stars Review on Audible
“Kimberly Fish’s writing style snatched me out of my easy chair.”
-- Vickie Phelps, author of Moved, Left No Address
“Kimberly Fish has a gift for combining conflict, emotion, and characterization to create a compelling story.”
-- Louis Gouge, author of Love Inspired Historical Four Star Ranch series
The Big Inch was my first experience using Audible. I normally go “old school” and listen to books on CD on my daily commute, but it’s getting harder to find what I want that way. Audible has a huge selection, and I'm glad I had an opportunity to experience a new format for the audio book tour for this historical fiction novel written by Kimberly Fish and narrated by Sydney Young.
One of the things I learned right away is that the speed of the narration can be adjusted with Audible, and that went a long way toward improving the listening experience. My ears and my brain seem to feel the need for the speed! Once that was adjusted, I settled in and truly enjoyed listening to The Big Inch.
This is Ms.Young’s first time to narrate an audio book, and I would have never guessed that based on the range of voices she uses to distinguish among the characters. The book is set in Longview, Texas during WWII, and the narrator’s southern accent really works in this case. I’ve listened to other non-southern narrators try to imitate our speech in the South with usually comical, if not irritating, results.
This story is about the completion of an oil pipeline, the titular ”Big Inch,” which would have been beneficial to the Allies during the war. Lane Mercer is an intelligence agent who had a traumatic experience working with the resistance in France and has been sent to Longview to act as a secretary to a military officer who is coordinating the completion of the pipeline. Her role is more than administrative, however, and she uses her keen observation skills and intelligence to keep things moving on the pipeline construction and the officer safe. Lane has family in Longview, and we gradually learn more about her upbringing and past through the course of the novel. There is a little mystery, and a little romance, but mostly The Big Inch is about all the characters who inhabit this small Texas town. The author has done a tremendous job of writing so many different distinct and well-developed characters, and Sydney Young’s narration truly shines in giving voice to them all.
My only criticism of the narration is that at times the narrator’s voice would elevate at the end of a sentence and make it difficult to follow that a new sentence had been started. And sometimes the pauses between words made it seem as though a sentence had ended. But I think that overall this was a well-narrated book, especially for a first time narrator.
As for the story itself, there were a few anachronisms that caught my ear. I’m not sure “climbing the corporate ladder” was a phrase used yet in the 1940s, and was the term sausage biscuits part of the vernacular yet? Not sure! At times, the pacing of the story was rather slow, with a lot more dialogue than action occurring. I remember it took a really long time (listening-wise) for the main character to “faint” after a shooting occurred in which she bravely saved the life of a stranger. Other than that, I truly enjoyed this historical fiction novel, primarily because I’m a native Texan, and I’m sorry to say it never occurred to me to think about what was going on in my home state during World War II! I became engaged enough in the setting and the characters to want to read the next book in the Misfits and Millionaires series, Harmon General.
I appreciated the opportunity to spend a number of enjoyable hours on my daily commute getting to know the great characters from the mind of Kimberly Fish and Sydney Young’s mellifluous narration. I would read another book by this author and listen to another audio book by this narrator, which is my high praise indeed.
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Sydney Young is a lawyer, award-winning writer and audio book narrator from the Lone Star State. Her next theatrical project will be directing “SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE,” for the Paris Community Theatre stage (Feb. 2019), while her novel “I AM HOUSTON,” is being submitted for publication by the Loiacono Literary Agency. Sydney has long been a reading advocate, including with her readings to an adopted second grade class each year. She loved voicing THE BIG INCH for all of its authentic Texas voices and true characters, all while she learned the history of the East Texas oil effort for World War II. Visit Sydney’s website for more information on her writings, theatre, and audio books.
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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
ONE WINNER!
Choice of Audio or Signed Print Copy of The Big Inch
+ $25 Amazon Gift Card + a WWII Themed Surprise Gift!
NOVEMBER 5-12, 2018
VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
11/5/18
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Joint Guest Post
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11/6/18
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Audio Book Review
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11/7/18
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Audio Book Review
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11/8/18
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Narrator Interview
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11/9/18
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Audio Book Review
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11/10/18
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Audio Book Review
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11/11/18
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Guest Post
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11/12/18
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Audio Book Review
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11/12/18
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Audio Book Review
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