Thanks to Net Galley for the preview of this audiobook. While I enjoy being able to get audiobooks from net galley, sometimes before publication, this may be my last one. The net galley app is pretty horrible. I can ‘deal with’ not many variations in speed (either 1.5x, 1.75x, 2x, etc.) but when the app keeps restarting my book back to the beginning, it makes the book nearly impossible to listen to and follow along.

The aside, this book was not really for me. It reminded me of the book Fairy Tale by Stephen King. It starts off great and interesting. Then we kind of get into this fantasy world and I totally lost interest. I wanted to like it, and the narrator is great, but I could not get into the story and the characters were a little confusing. I liked the little girl story line, but it still did not keep my interest.

Audiobook narrator David Aaron Baker rating: 4 stars
As I mentioned earlier, the narrator was really good and had good voices for the different characters.

This is a story of grief and how this man, Rainy, finds himself after his wife dies, holding on to her memory and sailing through his memories. It's a beautiful narration with the lessons he learns, the many obstacles he has to endure and people he meets, from a dystopian reality. The book was nicely written and the narration of the audiobook was good too. If you like adventures, self reflection, dystopia and a touch of hope, you'll enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this audiobook! Easy five stars. Better than reading the book. Somehow the beautiful lyricism of Leif Enger's writing came through better when I listened to rather than read his exquisite novel. I finished listening a couple of days ago and I'm still thinking about the journey I took with Rainy.

This was a real ride, both emotionally and almost literally through the semi-futuristic dystopia that Enger built. So much of this novel felt timeless even though I understood its setting is likely in some climate-change ravaged world in the vague near future; however, because of that destruction it almost felt like hitting reset and going full circle back to the turn of the 20th century. This was also a bit Mad Max-y, but set on a lake and so much more human. I had no idea what I was getting into with the cover, and this delivered far beyond my expectations.
Catalyzed by the loss of his wife Lark, Rainy sets off on this incredible expedition inspired by his love for her. It sweeps him up into all kind of side quests and brings in a whole set of characters that you can't help but enjoy hearing about. Everyone feels so unique and well fit for the world they inhabit. The writing is lush and you can't help but fall into it. So much of it feels like beautiful descriptions for the mundane, sprinkled with jarring moments of brutal 'reality'. I felt like it was a testament to grief and love, and ultimately acceptance and finding peace in that pain. This was a beautiful novel and I would absolutely recommend.

“If you’re heading out to sea to find the spirit of your beloved, than go while something rare and infinitely lucky is hanging in the sky.”

A grief-stricken man sets sail on Lake Superior against the background of a dystopian future-America wrecked by climate change, political- and economical division and more. Although the cover-blurb makes allusions to an “Orphean narrator”, what follows is more of a personal Odyssey on a micro-scale, but with the lyrical impact worthy of an epic comparison.
We follow Rainy, a gentle giant of a man, on his journey across the waters of his metaphorical grief over the loss of his wife Lark, as well as the literal waters of Lake Superior. What starts as an introspective and almost meditative journey, slowly offers a broadening scope of the world around, and with that a better understanding of how the events of Rainy- and Lark’s past brought him here.

What I loved:
With Enger's name, and the allusions towards Greek mythology attached to it, it won’t come as a surprise that this is an incredibly ambitious novel from a structural and literary point of view. I was blown away by its achievements in that regard. It strongly reminded me of Station Eleven (one of my all-time favourite novels!) in tone, themes and personal impact on me as a reader. I personally especially loved the first half, where the scope is tight and inward focused on Rainy, the solitary sailing, and the many weathers of Lake Superior mirroring the different faces of his grief.
In the second half, Rainy spends less time alone, meeting up with different passengers and passers-by, which give us a glimpse into the dystopian world at large. This slow spiraling out felt incredibly natural and well-paced. Without spelling it out in detail, we learn everything we need to understand the America that Rainy lives in. Pandemics, political crisis and a wealth-disparity so large that the 16 richest families are known as “The Astronauts”, for being so far removed from the rest of the population. Enger needs few words to paint a bleak and vivid picture.
Yet still, just like Station Eleven, Engers novel is a testament to the power of modern dystopian literature. Unlike the bleak and utterly “hopeless” classics, there is a defiant optimism and hopefulness in these modern stories. A faith in humanity’s potential for empathy and connection, if not on a societal scale, then on a smaller one. Through these connections, the characters on Engers pages (again, mirroring Emily St. John Mandel’s masterpiece) find their way back from survival to living.

What I didn’t love:
My biggest disappointment was a matter of expectation vs reality. The blurb refers to “lunatic storms, sentient waters and rising corpses from the warming depths”, hinting heavily at a magical realism element to the story. Especially in combination with the references to Greek myths, these elements wouldn’t have felt out of place here. Unfortunately, these are all strictly metaphorical, and no actual magical realism is present in the text. Although I like the imagery it conjured up in my head, I couldn’t help but feel a little mislead by the blurb.
My second point of contention relates to a single character; Sol. Whether it was the way her character was written; a fairly blank slate for Rainy to bounce off. Perhaps even the performance of the audiobook-narrator on doing an unconvincing “kids-voice”… Regardless, I never really got a feeling for their father-daughter-like dynamic. . It was clear that the author was going for something profound (think Joel and Ellie from The Last of Us), but it just fell short in that comparison.

Regardless of that small piece of critique, it was one of the best-written literary dystopians I’ve read in a while. Highly recommended for fans of Station Eleven, The Road and The Last of Us.

Many thanks to Grove Press and RB Media for providing me with an (audio)ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Set in a not-too-distant future marked by climate change, lawlessness, and corruption and governed by a dictatorial ruling class known as the astronauts, Rainy, a musician, and his beloved wife, Lark, a bookstore owner, live on the shore of Lake Superior until she is murdered. Rainy, in his grief, sets sail in an old sailboat partly to escape the perpetrators but also in the hope of finding Lark’s spirit. In his journey, he confronts severe storms, extreme evil and violence but he also finds friendship and hope along the way.

I Cheerfully Refuse by Lief Enger is a beautifully written dystopian tale full of contrasts between the beauty of the landscape and the horrors he encounters on shore, between the kindness of some of the characters he meets and the shocking cruelty of others and all written in lyrical prose. At times, the tale feels like a wild adventure and, at other times, like a fairy tale wonderfully told. This is not always an easy story - there are suicides, references to paedophilia, lynchings - but, in the end, there is hope. I listened to the audiobook narrated by David Aaron Baker who does an absolutely wonderful job of conveying the beauty and lyricism of Enger’s prose.

Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for an audiobook of this novel in exchange for an honest review

Sail along with beautiful lyrical literary fiction at it's best. Set in the near future, there are food shortages, economic failures, climate concerns and a President who is proud that he has never been tainted by reading a book! But rather than the grim, depressing sentiment of so many dystopian novels, this has a baseline (pun on purpose for those that read the book) of goodness, friendship, the value of books and even hope. I don't mean to mislead, there are grim moments but they are there to show the strength of those that try to a show those that willing to show kindness to others. I had no interest in reading about a dystopian society and even less about a person sailing along Lake Superior but I wanted to try Leif Enger's latest book and I am glad I did. I hope this book will find others willing to give this work a chance.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the audio ARC.

I Cheerfully Refuse written by Leif Enger and narrated by David Aaron Baker is an outstanding example of the forerunners of speculative/ dystopian fiction of our times.

Baker was the perfect choice to narrate this audiobook. The calm, balanced cadence reflected the depth of the narrative which makes for an engrossing listen that will have the listener captivated from satrt to finish

Rainy (Rainier) is a bassist who lives in a future that is terrifyingly plausible. A soceity controlled by billionaires where intellectualism has crumbled along with the infrastructure of the country, causing many to flee to Canada iup the East coast by sea or lake which is a central tenet of Rainy's journey throughout the storyline

The book has been written beautifully and draws the reader in to a darkly dystopic reality due to illustrative and immersive prose, relatable characters and the building of a world that is lawless and crumbling

I loved this audiobook so much that I will be buying the book, it was just that good!

Thank you to Netgalley, RB Media | Recorded Books, the author Leif Enger and narrator David Aaron Baker
for this incredible ALC . My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Beautifully written, this novel is as heart-wrenching as it is quietly inspiring.

"I Cheerfully Refuse" is set in a near-future America where societal collapse has ensued from fateful, disastrous, and irreversible climate change, leading to a dystopian reality governed by a corrupt elite. Through an imaginative loose retelling of the story of Orpheus, our main character Rainy embarks on a journey across Lake Superior that transforms from a personal escape from violence into a broader odyssey that sees him and a young girl, Sol, inadvertently becoming beacons of hope in a desperate, lawless world.

Leif Enger has written a narrative rich in lyrical prose exploring themes of deep love, loss, resilience, and the indomitable human spirit. Lake Superior was so vividly described and held such a prominent impact that I felt it was an independent character. Each of the other characters felt like a real person you might meet post-apocalypse, though not all you would want to. After a slower-paced start, the journey Rainy and Sol take is compelling and paints a rich mosaic of humanity.

Enchanting cover art and an excellently written story. All in all, this will be going into my 5⭐️ books of 2024 list.

This is a difficult book to describe without giving spoilers. Much of the book is very grim. It is set in a time where the value of human life is very low. But in stark contrast to that is the main character: Rainy. In big and small ways, he finds ways to care for others, despite high cost to himself.

There are things I wish would have been different in the book, but it made me think what I would have done in his circumstance, and I think the book will stick with me for quite awhile.

If you enjoy stories with heart, or books, or travels by boat, and don’t mind a bit of the macabre I think you will enjoy this book.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

Enger’s Peace Like a River is one of my favorite books and this new story further encompasses why. His writing style and language are delightful. He can weave a tale with vivid imagery and a well-developed cast of characters unmatched by most authors. This was such a unique futuristic story without all the sci-fi or apocalyptic tropes. It caused me to sit back and reflect and pull apart the events and feelings of the characters. I enjoyed the tone and pace of the narrator and wasn’t put off by his ability to capture all ages and genders of characters. I highly recommend this book, and also suggest checking out Peace Like a River when you’re finished!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

True Confession of a Librarian: I have never read Peace Like a River. Or anything else by Leif Enger. My guilt is relieved now that I have read this. Based on the description I was imaging a really bad climate situation. The situation is bad but not as bad as the societal disintegration. .Hard material to digest but well worth the effort. There might have been a few too many sailing details for me, but hey, it is set on Kae Superior!

This was my first novel by Leif Enger, though I have had Peace Like a River on my TBR for years. I Cheerfully Refuse is a difficult novel to describe as it, to my mind, was not very plot driven. It was more an observation on life story...with hints of a slightly futuristic Odyssey. As I made my way through the book, I found myself laughing here and there as well as worried on behalf of the lead character, Rainey. This book is odd because the scenarios that Rainey finds himself in are mostly fantastical, but there is enough realism to each that I felt great empathy during them. All in all, I do not know that I would go so far as to claim to have loved I Cheerfully Refuse, but I did find myself deeply intrigued throughout. Best of all, the literary imagery was magical and wonderful.

This is my first book by this author, so I had no preconceived expectations or notions going into this read. Although the dystopian fiction world isn't one that I dive into regularly, I found this to be one of the better ones I have read. I enjoyed this author's writing style and storytelling. I look forward to reading other books by him. This book was slow to start and I kept waiting for it to take off running. Unfortunately, it never did. It was a slow burn from beginning to end, with random charters and interest piques thrown in along the journey. It was the introduction of the random characters that was the most difficult for me. Just when curiosity and interest rise again have me wondering where the story was going to go, these characters would be left behind. This made the book difficult for me to follow, especially in audiobook format. This book would work much better for me if I had read a copy of it. Despite the lackluster story, the beautifully written passages and the wonderful storyteller feel give this one a solid 3 stars for me. Thank you Netgalley and McMillan Audio for the ARC of this audiobook.

Set in the not so distant future, this is a sad story about rainy, a man in search of his wife and seeking justice. I have a feeling that this book is better than I am reading it, sometimes with fantasy books. I have a hard time understanding the rules of the universe and so I find them hard to follow. I listened to the audiobook, which is a little dry. Doesn’t have a lot of dialogue to keep the story moving. With a audiobook (because the language comes at you at the same pace) sometimes you miss the most beautiful sentences. In reading the other reviews, I can see some sentences that I don’t remember hearing. I think this is one that I would have done better with reading the hardcover or digital book. My favorite scenes were on the boat as Rainy was discovering people he found difficult to understand. This one just wasn’t for me.

I was initially drawn to the cover of this book and the dystopian blurb, a man searching for answers surrounding his wife’s death as he sails Lake Superior, along the way encountering horrors and unlikely people.

I really enjoyed the narrator and the narrator point of view, he was easy to empathize with and was well fleshed out.

I really enjoyed the beginning but the book lost its steam around the half way point and I felt it was just too long without much direction.

I book in the fine category.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audio arc all opinions are my own.

Unfortunately I could not get into this one and had a really hard time connecting to the main character. I did like all the Canadian place references but it wasn't enough to capture my interest. I ended up DNFing around 15%. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

With beautiful writing and quotes worth remembering, this was a quiet dystopian novel about loss, grief, survival and humanity. I did have to take my time reading this and went back through the digital version for a few chapters that I got lost following on audio alone. The characters were memorable, and Rainey and Sol’s relationship will stay with me for a long time.

I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Engel

Narration was well done by David Aaron Baker

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the audiobook

A beautiful, descriptive, lyrically written dystopian/fantasy love story taking place in a near-future America where a billionaire class has complete control.

Rainy, a musician, and his wife, Lark, a bookshop owner, live in the small town of, Icebridge, on the shores of Lake Superior. A boarder comes to stay at their home and brings a manuscript called, ‘I Cheerfully Refuse’ with him and gives to Lark. Shortly upon his arrival things happen and it shatters Rainy and Lark’s peace.

Rainy flees and sets sail on Lake Superior after the death of his wife in hope that he will find Lark’s spirit among the islands where they fell in love. He is beset by torrential storms, dead bodies rising to the surface of the lake, and nefarious people in lakeside towns. He meets and befriends a young girl who joins him on his journey.

Buckle up for an epic journey you won’t soon forget. I absolutely loved his book, Peace Like a River, and this too is storytelling at its finest. Living in Michigan, I am very familiar with Lake Superior.

I found this narrator very boring. I love audiobooks but I kept losing interest. I will try this story in print instead.