A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash

by:  Wiley Cash
published by:  William Morrow
publish date:  April 12, 2012

For a curious boy like Jess Hall, growing up in Marshall means trouble when you get caught spying on grown-ups. Adventurous and precocious, Jess is protective of his older brother, Christopher, a mute whom everyone calls Stump. Though their mother has warned them not to snoop, Stump can't help sneaking a look at something he's not supposed to--an act that will have repercussions. It's a wrenching event that thrusts Jess into an adulthood for which he's not prepared. He now knows that a new understanding can bring not only danger and evil--but also the possibility of freedom and deliverance.

I had been hearing about this book here and there.  I finally got the audiobook from the library.  I was very impressed with this debut novel. 

The book tells the story of the attempted healing of Stump by the congregation of the church his mother attends.  The healing does not go as planned.  The Sheriff becomes involved and his history with the family is revealed. 

I really liked how the audiobook was recorded.  The book was written in varying viewpoints.  It was told from the point of view of the Sheriff, Jess, and the town's midwife.  The audiobook was recorded by three different readers and I particularly enjoyed that.

A Land More Kind Than Home was a fantastic book with a shocking ending.  This is one book I will be recommending for sure.