Radio Free Olympia - by Jeffrey Dunn (Paperback)

About the Book

"What must we do for the Earth again to be our home? Radio Free Olympia unites a captivating circle of visionaries, folktale characters, and historical figures who struggle to return to their old-growth existence on Washington's wild Olympic Peninsula. In this magically realistic novel, cultural fiction writer Jeffrey Dunn weaves the threads of many voices into a complex ecological tapestry. Follow the foundling Petr into the mountain rainforest as he broadcasts forgotten voices from his pirate radio transmitter. Move in with Baie as she opens Wildsisters, a cranberry-infused roadhouse home for lost women. A tongue is stolen. An infant is kidnapped. And justice, not just for the characters but also for the flora, the fauna, and the terrain itself, must be served. Marrying prose and poetry, fiction and history, the hard-boiled and the transcendent, Radio Free Olympia takes us out of our current planetary discord and brings us back into spiritual harmony"--

Book Synopsis

Unleash the Power of the Wilderness in Radio Free Olympia

Immerse yourself in the wild heart of Washington's Olympic Peninsula with Jeffrey Dunn's Radio Free Olympia, a novel where human resilience and transformation resonate with the powerful forces of nature. Jeffrey Dunn, a PhD with personal experience overcoming dyslexia, draws from his deep connection to the natural world to craft a narrative as raw and vibrant as the landscape itself.

Follow Petr, a young man with a pirate radio transmitter, as he broadcasts the mystical voices that echo through the dense forests. Meet Baie, a feral Christian, as she leads her band of Wildsisters toward personal and environmental salvation. Witness the drama as these two worlds crosspaths and magically intertwine.

Radio Free Olympia is ideal for readers who appreciate the environmental depth of Where the Crawdads Sing and the narrative innovation of "Cloud Atlas." It offers a vivid, poetic exploration of place and purpose, promising not just a tale, but an invitation to reflect on our own connections with the world around us. Join in discovering how deeply our lives are woven into the tapestry of the landscapes we inhabit.

Review Quotes

Radio Free Olympia blends local history, nature writing, indigenous storytelling, and disquisitions on topics like free will into a rich narrative filled with surprising observations from a variety of voices. The novel's blending of the ordinary and extraordinary, the mundane and magical, is ambitious and playful, leading to a common point that feels, despite the threat of natural disaster, like life itself.

-Publishers Weekly/BookLife, Editor's Pick

Author Jeffrey Dunn has crafted a novel unlike anything else that I've read this year, and I found myself absolutely falling in love with the Peninsula and its wild, untamed beauty as I devoured this multisensory feast of a story. The craftsmanship in the wordplay and scene setting is second to none, offering not only a cinematic vision of this little microcosm of paradise but a real sense of how the ecology, culture, and attitude of the place come together to form their own personality.

-K.C. Finn, Readers' Favorite

Jeffrey Dunn has created a book like no other I've ever experienced. Having four solid characters and seeing the world through their eyes was a unique and unexpected surprise. I liked how he used different ways to present their story. One moment you read it in a first-person stance, and the next, you find yourself immersed in poetry. To say this book provides a wealth of variety is an understatement.

-Suzie Housely, Midwest Book Review