Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
Every Boy Should Have a Man
- Narrated by: Michael McConnohie
- Length: 5 hrs and 22 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
£0.00 for first 30 days
Buy Now for £14.99
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Editor reviews
Written in a style reminiscent of the King James Bible, Every Boy Should Have a Man is a social satire set in a post-human world populated by creatures called oafs who keep humanlike "mans" as pets. Narrator Michael McConnohie has an expansive voice that wraps elegantly around the story of a boy oaf's three mans: Brown Skin, who returns to his rightful owner; Red Sleeves, who vanishes; and her quick-witted daughter Red Locks, who must survive the backbreaking mines and dangerous battlefields. McConnohie maintains an easygoing pace, linking themes of poverty, racism and environmental destruction with his sleek performance.
Summary
A riveting, poignant satire of societal ills, with an added dose of fantasy, Every Boy Should Have a Man takes place in a post-human world, where creatures called oafs keep humanlike "mans" as beloved pets. One day, a poor boy oaf brings home a man, whom he hides under his bed, in the hopes his parents won't find out. When the man is discovered, the boy admits it is not his - but the boy is no delinquent. Despite the accusations being hurled at him, he's telling the truth when he says he found the man wandering aimlessly in the bramble. Nevertheless, he must return the man to his rightful owner. But when the heartbroken boy comes home from school one afternoon, he finds wrapped up in red ribbon a female man with a note around her neck: "Every boy should have a man. You're a fine son. Love, Dad."
Thus begins Every Boy Should Have a Man, Preston L. Allen's picaresque journey into uncharted territory in earth, sky, and firmament. This audiobook traces the story of the boy and his three "mans," Brown Skin who is not his, the tragic Red Sleeves who has no voice, and her quick-witted daughter Red Locks, whose epic journey takes her from the backbreaking drudgery of the mines, to the perils of the battlefield, to the savagery of cannibalism.
Oafs and mans each gain insight and understanding into one another's worlds, and the worlds that touch theirs - ultimately showing that oafs and mans share a common "humanity." Filled with surprising twists and turns, this audiobook is in part a morality tale that takes on many of today's issues, including poverty, the environment, sexism, racism, war, and religion, all in lighthearted King James prose.