The Jealous Kind, James Lee Burke
The Jealous Kind, James Lee Burke
12 Rating(s)
List: $26.99 | Sale: $18.89
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The Jealous Kind

Bestseller

Author: James Lee Burke

Narrator: Will Patton

Unabridged: 11 hr 47 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/30/2016


Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author and “the reigning champ of nostalgia noir” (The New York Times Book Review) James Lee Burke returns with a powerful novel in the Holland Family series set in 1950s Texas, as the specter of the Korean War looms.

On its surface, life in 1950s Houston is as you’d expect: stoic fathers, restless teens, drive-in movies, and souped-up Cadillacs. But underneath that surface lies a world shifting under high school junior Aaron Holland Broussard’s feet. The underlying class war between the haves and have nots is growing steadily, along with the menace of conflict overseas in Korea, providing a harrowing backdrop to his growth to manhood. But when Aaron spots the beautiful Valerie Epstein at a drive-in, he steps in when he sees her fighting with her boyfriend, Grady Harrelson. Aaron’s newfound confidence helps catch Valerie’s eye, and the two begin dating. Grady is a live wire though, and presents a looming problem for Aaron.

You will recall the feelings and inspirational power of your first love, and empathize with Aaron’s extraordinary challenges to protect himself and the ones he loves in “this dark, atmospheric story” (Publishers Weekly). The Jealous Kind illustrates how first loves, friendship, violence, and power can alter what traditional America means for the people trying to find their way in a changing world.

About James Lee Burke

American mystery author, James Lee Burke, was born in Houston, Texas, explaining why most of the lead characters in his novels are Texan. He has won two Edgar awards, which is a very rare experience, and is a bestselling author of two short story collections and over thirty novels. Burke is best known for his Dave Robicheaux series. His Edgar Awards were for Black Cherry and Cimarron Rose. Two of his series were made into screen plays with each movie having a-list actors playing the Robicheaux character (Alec Baldwin - Heaven's Prisoners, and Tommy Lee Jones- In the Electric Mist).

A writer must usually hold down other employment while they attempt to gain a degree of following readers. Burke's various jobs included.......truck driver, newspaper reporter, social worker, land surveyor, unemployment system employee, Job Corps worker, teacher, and finally, novelist.

Burke lives in Montana with his wife, Pearl, two daughters, and four grandchildren. His favorite advice was given by Irving Stone, when Burke was nineteen.......... "Never write a story to pay your gas bill......if you do, be assured your utilities will be turned off".


Reviews

Goodreads review by Chelsea on September 13, 2016

This is my first James Lee Burke novel and certainly won't be my last. I'm shocked I've made it this long without reading a book from "one of the greatest writers in the business" in our time. I always wanted to pick up one of his books, but kept putting it off until I won this one on a Goodreads Gi......more

Goodreads review by Barbara on September 18, 2024

Author James Lee Burke James Lee Burke is probably best known for his mystery series about Detective Dave Robicheaux, but he also pens novels about the Holland family. This book is about Aaron Holland Broussard, grandson of former Texas lawman Hackberry Holland. The story is narrated by Aaron as an a......more

Goodreads review by Andrew on April 24, 2021

Fans of Burke’s work will know that the Holland family have featured in novels dating back to the early 70’s. This clan can be tracked all the way back to Sam Holland, who escaped from a prison in Louisiana in 1835 and fought at the Battle of San Jacinto a year later. His grandson was Hackberry Holl......more

Goodreads review by Esil on August 23, 2016

3 1/2 stars. I had never given much thought to reading James Lee Burke until I started noticing some of my GR friends singing his praises and writing about his books as though they had fallen under a spell. So I jumped at the opportunity to read The Jealous Kind when it became available on Netgalley......more

Goodreads review by PattyMacDotComma on February 06, 2017

3.5★ JLB paints such great word pictures that it’s worth reading him just for that. This is a story about good guys and bad guys, many of them only about 17 years old, but it’s hardly a typical coming-of-age novel. Our hero is Aaron Holland Broussard, remembering his youth in 1952. The locale is Houst......more