Red Clay, Yellow Grass
Written by Richard Barager⎮ Narrated by Jon Noto
Author: Richard Barager
Narrator: Jon Noto
Length: 9 hours 57 minutes
Publisher: Evolved Publishing LLC
Released: Sep. 19, 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
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Synopsis
A battleground and a rock festival. Love and war in the age of Aquarius.
A startlingly vivid portrayal of the 1960s, as seen through the eyes of two ill-fated college lovers. The story of their generation spills across some of the era’s most iconic settings: the legendary battleground of Khe Sanh; a Midwestern campus riven by dissent; and Altamont Speedway, scene of the notorious rock festival that ended the sixties.
Booklist: “[B]arager's dynamic, passionate, often moving exploration of the turbulent and politically divided 1960s...is striking. The cast of complicated characters adds arresting human dimensions.”
Kirkus Indie: “Barager spins a compelling tale of youthful passion, both personal and political...a rich, satisfying experience. A well-written, gripping novel that expertly blends fact and fiction, love and conviction.”
Evolved Publishing presents a startlingly vivid portrayal of the 1960s, as one reviewer put it: “the decade that changed us all”.
This audiobook was provided by its narrator, Richard Barager, in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thanks, Richard!
Red Clay, Yellow Grass by Richard Barager is genuinely gifted as a doctor and writer—one profession saving humans, the other examining the ever-complex condition of the human heart, mind, and soul. Barager has opened a portal to the 1960s and highlighted the pivotal experiences of that era with the polarities of war and consumerism juxtaposed to the age of, Black Power, Feminism, Free-Love, Anti-war, Anti-Draft, Flower Power, Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll.
The main protagonist, David, fought at Khe Sahn, Vietnam; his story was brilliantly penned by Barager, who captured the tumultuous horrors of war David and his fellow marines endured for America with historical accuracy. The cost of American freedom and political outrage were two similar threads woven through the story of David’s life before the war, his survivorship in Korea, and his return home to Minneapolis, Minnesota. He reunited with his radical girlfriend Jackie and the pair shared an emotionally charged relationship where Jackie secretively juggled the hearts of two men in her free-love and drug influence lifestyle—and simultaneously found time to protest women’s rights.
Narrator Jon Noto delivered this vocal performance with emotive verbal inflections coupled with quality vocal differentiation performing interpersonal conversations in an array of settings. Although one could tell that it was the same person playing each character—Noto does add a bit of dry hilarity when playing female roles.
To those who did not experience the 1960s first-hand, the book could be used as a historical novel that showcased the struggles of the era that are eerily similar to many of the social problems Americans face today. Reading Red Clay, Yellow Grass is like stepping back to the tie-dyed 1960s to experience the Age of Aquarius through the wild eyes of two young ill-fated lovers who struggled to find freedom of identity in a world that was rapidly changing.
Willow Moon Greymoor follows her lifelong passion for literature and writing. Working as a professional book reviewer is truly part of her soul’s calling. For over 14 years, Willow has been reviewing books, writing, beta reading, and offering professional advice to authors around the world.