The Removed is a novel written by Brandon Hobson. It tells the story of a Cherokee family living in Oklahoma, who are still grappling with the loss of their son, Ray-Ray, who was killed by a police officer sixteen years ago. The book explores themes of grief, identity, and the impact of historical trauma on indigenous communities.

The story is primarily narrated from the perspectives of three family members: Maria, the mother; Sonja, the daughter; and Edgar, the father. Each character copes with their grief in different ways and struggles to find a sense of belonging in a world that has been marked by tragedy.

Maria, the matriarch of the family, is haunted by visions of Ray-Ray and believes that he is trying to communicate with her from beyond the grave. She seeks solace in traditional Cherokee rituals and tries to connect with her cultural heritage as a way to heal her pain.

Sonja, on the other hand, has turned to drugs and alcohol to numb her emotions. She feels disconnected from her family and struggles to find her place in society. Sonja’s narrative also delves into her experiences as a transgender woman and the challenges she faces in a world that often fails to understand or accept her identity.

Edgar, the father, is consumed by guilt over his son’s death. He constantly questions whether he could have done more to protect Ray-Ray and blames himself for what happened. Edgar’s narrative explores his attempts to reconcile with his past actions and find redemption.

Throughout the novel, Hobson weaves in elements of Cherokee mythology and history, highlighting the ongoing impact of colonization and forced assimilation on indigenous communities. He also addresses issues such as police violence against people of color and the struggle for justice.

• The Removed

• A Novel
• By: Brandon Hobson
• Narrated by: Gary Farmer; Shaun Taylor-Corbett, DeLanna Studi, Katie Rich, Christopher Salazar

Fifteen years since their teenage son, Ray-Ray, was killed in a police shooting, the Echota family has been suspended in private grief. The mother, Maria, increasingly struggles to cope with an outbreak of Alzheimer’s disease in her husband, Ernest. Their adult daughter, Sonja, leads a solitary life, punctuated only by dizzying romantic obsessions. And their son, Edgar, has long run away from home, turning to drugs to quell his sense of alienation.

As the family’s annual bonfire draws near – an occasion that marks both National Cherokee Day and Ray-Ray’s death, and a rare moment in which they talk openly about his memories – Maria once again tries to bring the family together from a physical and emotional distance. But as the campfire approached, each of them felt the line between normal life and the spirit world strangely blur. Maria and Ernest adopt an adopted child who seems to have the ability to magically keep Ernest’s spirit from fogging up. Sonja becomes dangerously attached to a man named Vin, despite – or perhaps because of – his relationship to the tragedy of her life and past lives. And after a suicide attempt, Edgar finds himself in a mysterious Dark Land: a place between the living and the dead, where old crimes reverberate.

Deeply inspired by Cherokee folklore, The Removed seamlessly blends reality and spirituality to tap into the profound echoes of trauma – a meditation on family, pain, homeland, and the power of stories on both an individual and ancestral level.

Hobson writes beautifully. All of his characters feel authentic and engaging. Loved his inclusion of Cherokee lore, some of which extend to other tribes like mine. I will always be afraid of owls, haha.

Literally, I’ve listened to thousands of audiobooks and there’s no doubt that the performance ensemble “The Removed” is the best. However, this makes no sense if the original document itself is not special. Brandon Hobson somehow managed to figure out the truth, pain, and turmoil of the Road where they wept with a steady hand while telling a modern day story. “The Removed” is, among many other things, a plea for empathy that our society still so desperately lacks today but this book never takes the easy route and never follows cheap sentiment. I cried every tear, Hobson, and the truth of this history, has been earned. I love these characters more than I can say. Not since William Kinsella’s “Shoeless Joe” has magical realism been as magical or real as this. Read this book.

Audiobookss audio player

Hi everyone, please be noticed that the Audio player doesn't play next track on IOS version < 15.6. If you are facing that issue, just upgrade your IOS to version 15.6 to fix it. Enjoy!