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Laurus

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Laurus

Written by: Lisa C. Hayden - translator, Eugene Vodolazkin
Narrated by: James Anderson Foster
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It is the late 15th century and a village healer in Russia called Laurus is powerless to help his beloved as she dies in childbirth, unwed and without having received communion. Devastated and desperate, he sets out on a journey in search of redemption. But this is no ordinary journey: it is one that spans ages and countries, and which brings him face-to-face with a host of unforgettable, eccentric characters and legendary creatures from the strangest medieval bestiaries.

Laurus's travels take him from the Middle Ages to the Plague of 1771, where as a holy fool he displays miraculous healing powers, to the political upheavals of the late 20th century. At each transformative stage of his journey, he becomes more revered by the church and the people, until he decides, one day, to return to his home village to lead the life of a monastic hermit - not realizing that it is here that he will face his most difficult trial yet.

Laurus is a remarkably rich novel about the eternal themes of love, loss, self-sacrifice, and faith, from one of Russia's most exciting and critically acclaimed novelists.

©2015 Eugene Vodolazkin; translation copyright 2015 by Lisa C. Hayden (P)2017 Tantor Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Middle Ages Russia Village
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The book is narrated oddly, and the translation is very clunky. I couldn't decide if I thought it was good or just terrible. As the final chapters began I decided it was an incredible tale, but poorly delivered. I recommend it, only be warned its not the easiest listen.

Amazing Story, Not so Great Delivery

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Loved the story. Tragic and ultimately triumphant. I also love how it gives such intimate insight into the medieval mind.

It's a Long story, but what a payoff!

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It is a powerful story with beautiful imagery to captivate the mind and heart. Enjoy.

a taste of Russian tradition

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The narrator, whilst clarion clear, was lacking when differentiating between characters. The story itself was interesting, though very, very heavy on faith and religion.

A faithful epic

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This was a stunning piece of literature. It is a poetically written story of grief, grace and restoration.

Beautiful

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