Free Audiobook : The Mighty Red, by Louise Erdrich

In Argus, North Dakota, lives intertwine around a tense wedding that draws together a variety of characters.

Gary Geist, a young man burdened by the weight of inheriting two farms, is eager to marry Kismet Poe, a free-spirited ex-Goth who holds a strange, resolute clarity for his otherwise uncertain life. But Kismet is also admired by Hugo, a kind-hearted, red-haired giant who is more than willing to disrupt the wedding and claim her for himself.

Kismet’s mother, Crystal, works the night shift hauling sugar beets for Gary’s family. While on her routes, she tunes into the strange comfort of late-night radio, sees visions of guardian angels, and worries deeply about the future—for her daughter and for herself.

The Mighty Red paints a picture of the Red River Valley, where time stretches across human life, deep geological ages, and even the half-life of environmental decay, while characters grapple with questions of love, survival, and identity amid the collapse of natural resources and the 2008 financial crisis. This is a story of everyday people with complicated dreams, burdened by secrets and longing, enduring hardship within a stark yet beautiful prairie landscape.