When the bombs fell and Western civilization ended, the residents of Hickory Hollow, Texas, scarcely noticed the difference. They were already used to fending for themselves - growing their own food, helping their neighbors survive, keeping their rural life going, much as before. But when the Ungers - a band of renegade thieves, murderers, and ne'er-do-wells-began raiding the nearby plots, looting and killing everyone in sight, it was time to take action!

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Listening Length	6 hours and 1 minute
Author	Ardath Mayhar
Narrator	Dennis Holland
Audible.com Release Date	February 28, 2012
Publisher	Audible Studios
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B007EMQQN2
Best Sellers Rank	#403,970 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #24,951 in Science Fiction (Audible Books & Originals) #165,878 in Science Fiction (Books)

Customer reviews

5 star		58%
4 star		9%
3 star		13%
2 star		10%
1 star		10%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Kira S.

Oldie but definitely worth reading

Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2017

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I couldn't resist this book because it is set in East Texas, even though Hickory Hollow is a little over a hundred miles north of where I grew up. There are still familiar references like chinaberry trees, chinquapins, and mayhaws (which the author calls "haws"). My mother used to make mayhaw jelly and let me tell you, eating that jelly spread on a warm biscuit fresh out of the oven is close to a religious experience.

The story itself is interesting enough, although there is a lot of author intrusion in the form of her opinionated first person character. Ardath Mayhar obviously knows a lot about living in the country but I have to wonder if she actually lived on a working farm, at least as an adult. She is right that the little enclave in Hickory Hollow is pretty much an ideal place to be when the bombs drop, as long as they don't drop too near to where your particular hollow is. However, farming is hard work, even if you're used to it. She tends to gloss over that a bit. There are occasional mentions of the children being so tired they fall asleep and have to be carried to bed, but the adults would get a thorough workout, too, especially since they keep adding people to their collective.

Still, it's a good story, a post-apocalyptic novel that is actually fairly upbeat, which is pretty unusual. If you like post-apocalyptic fiction and also back-to-nature type books, this is an ideal combination of the two - despite a little drama occasionally, which just adds a little spice

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Jimmy

Jed Clampett and kin meet the Apocalypse

Reviewed in the United States on September 29, 2010

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Okay this book was not quite what I was looking for. That folksy narrative way the story was told was kinda neat maybe like John boy on the Walton's or perhaps even like Forest Gump talks. However it's somewhat silly to pretend that after a nuclear war the only concern of these people is some crazed Amazon women living in squalor on the riverbank. How did Zack, Lucinda and family including extended family survive the hoards of desperate starving people pushing through the countryside looking for food or refuge or the roving road gangs or radiation fallout etc...
Oh that's right their place was special like Walton Mountain and didn't have those nasty problems.

I guess anything's possible but this story did not need to be wrapped around any sort of apocalypse. It could have stood on its own as a backwater county with moonshine making and nasty women with bickering and gun play maybe like a Hatfield and McCoy's story only a lot duller.

Anyways there are obviously some people who enjoyed this book and more power to ya. Besides what I mentioned it was a good story.

5 people found this helpful

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Laurence

A different viewpoint

Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2018

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Most apocalyptic stories are about men warriors who kill all the bad guys. This one was different and I enjoyed it. I usually don’t appreciate women authors because they denigrate men and inflate their faults. This author never dwelt on the faults of men but brought to the forefront the good attributes of women. My first five star rating in a year!

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Ilinois Reader

Survivalist Escapism-but Enjoyable Enough

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2013

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The World Ends in Hickory Hollow is about a stressed out, debt ridden, suburbanite family that leave the rat race for an inherited truck farm in Hickory Hollow just before an Atomic War knocks out civilization. They are forced to confront this situation and re-build as though they are pioneers.

The book describes the details of rural living and the plot climaxes when a group of Amazonian Women are forced to be destroyed.

As with all Survivalist Literature, the Collapse solves a modern day dilemma-the debt ridden, soul-less consumerism that so infects the Middle Class Suburban species of humanity.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Byron Kennedy

Hickory Hollow seems real.

Reviewed in the United States on March 16, 2021

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Very poignant story, well told. The author obviously knows the area, and certainly knows her subject matter and characters. One of the few post-apocalyptic books I think my wife will read and enjoy!

Helpful

ailsaek

Post-apocalyptic without testosterone overload

Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2020

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I had mentioned to a friend on Facebook that I’d love to read a post-apocalyptic story that wasn’t a testosterone-addled fantasy. One of her friends suggested this book, and it’s perfect. No Mad Max. There are villains, but humans being what they are, I suppose there would have to be. But the story is mostly about pulling together and rebuilding, and it’s very very satisfying.

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Paul Suits

I really enjoyed this SHTF book more than some others

Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2016

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I really enjoyed this SHTF book more than some others. It was somewhat short but it was filled with good content. There were one or two places in which I felt it was a bit far fetched but otherwise this seems to me to be the way SHTF could happen. It almost harkened back to the days of The Great Depression in some ways and I feel that made it a more believable story line.

Helpful

Sandi D Dobbs

Very compelling story for our times

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2020

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The characters came alive for me, especially Luce and Zack. They were strong and did what needed to be done to keep their new family alive, while having a lot of compassion.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Ekij

An enjoyabe read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 1, 2011

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This book primarily focuses on the actions of one family in Hickory hollow and their five or ten closest neighbours when modern civilization ends. As these farms were mostly self sufficient, initially little changes other than a little stockpiling the things they're not going to be able to easily make themselves.
However the local brothel; a loose family group ('The Ungers') has been subsisting on government welfare and income from men. When the world ends these two sources vanished and as there are no shops anymore to sell them food anyway they turn their attention to alternate ways to get their food.

The book is light on actual details of how each farm remains self sufficient, focusing more on the personalities of the residents and their interaction.

There are lots of moral dilemmas raised in the book, situations where I found myself pausing reading to ponder what I would do in that situation.

The book is perhaps a little short but unlike so many other 'survival' books that struggle to come together for an end this one stops at a natural stopping point.

I was torn between 4 and 5 stars.

april

very good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2017

Verified Purchase

excellent...exciting...very well written...scary "after the nuclear holocaust"- story....recommended

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