Such Kindness

Written by Andre Dubus III

Narrated by Andre Dubus III

A working-class white man takes a terrible fall.

Tom Lowe’s identity and his pride are invested in the work he does with his back and his hands. He designed and built his family’s dream home, working extra hours to pay off the adjustable rate mortgage he took on the property, convinced he is making every sacrifice for the happiness of
his wife and son. Until, in a moment of fatigued inattention, shingling a roof in too-bright sunlight, he falls.

In constant pain, addicted to painkillers at the cost of his relationships with his wife and son, Tom slowly comes to realize that he can never work again. If he is not a working man, who is he? He is not, he believes, the kind of person who lives in subsidized housing, though that is where he has
ended up. He is not the kind of person who hatches a scheme to commit convenience-check fraud, together with neighbors he considers lowlifes, until he finds himself stealing his banker’s trash.

Who is Tom Lowe, and who will he become? Can he find a way to reunite hands and heart, mind and spirit, to be once again a giver and not just a taker, to forge a self-acceptance deeper than pride?

Andre Dubus III’s soulful cast includes Trina, the struggling mom next door who sells her own plasma to get by; Dawn, the tough-talking owner of the local hairdressing salon; Jamie, a well-meaning pothead college student ready to stick it to “the man”; and a mix of strangers and neighbors who
will never know the role they played in changing a life. To one man’s painful moral journey, Dubus bringscompassion with an edge of dark absurdity, forging a novel as absorbing as it is profound.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 6, 2023
• ISBN: 9798889565406

Andre Dubus III

Andre Dubus III is the author of House of Sand and Fog (an Oprah’s Book Club selection and finalist for the National Book Award), Bluesman, and The Cage Keeper and Other Stories. He lives with his family north of Boston.

Reviews for Such Kindness

[Darris · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I hesitated continuing to listen to this book because it seemed hopeless but I’m so glad I continued. Tom is a downtrodden character and his voice reflects how he feels about his life. He somehow gathers characters in his life that change him as a human being. This story is complex, heartbreaking, and inspiring. I cared about Tom and the people in his life. Tom made a choice in his life that we can all make. I’m so glad I kept listening.

[Price Russell · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fantastic writing and a story well told by the author.
Thanks for the journey.

[Yulia Zlotsky-Goggi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book raises important questions in the humble tone of its protagonist. What is our self worth and who gets to define it? How small a kindness can make an impact? The importance of safety nets we provide to the most vulnerable in our society. It's been a while that I read a book that really made me think. We need more like it.

[Beth Clarke · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The absolute worst narrator I've ever heard. I can't listen to it. I may still read it, but I can't listen to it.