Running Barefoot

Written by Amy Harmon

Narrated by Tavia Gilbert

When Josie Jensen, an awkward thirteen-year-old musical prodigy, crashes headlong into newcomer Samuel Yazzie, an eighteen-year-old Navajo boy full of anger and confusion, an unlikely friendship blooms. Josie teaches Samuel about words, music, and friendship, and along the way finds a kindred spirit. Upon graduation, Samuel abandons the sleepy, small town in search of a future and a life, leaving his young mentor behind. Many years go by and Samuel returns, finding his old friend in need of the very things she offered him years before. Their roles reversed, Samuel teaches Josie about life, love, and letting go. Deeply romantic and poignant, Running Barefoot is the story of a small-town girl and a Native American boy, the ties that bind them to their homes and families, and the love that gives them wings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Mar 26, 2014
• ISBN: 9781494570033

Amy Harmon

Amy Harmon is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of thirteen novels, including From Sand and Ash, and the Whitney Award–winning The Law of Moses. Her historical novels, inspirational romances, and young adult fantasy books are now being published internationally. To find out more about Amy, visit her at www.authoramyharmon.com.

Reviews for Running Barefoot

[Jill Ann · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautiful story of love, loss and friendship that lasts a lifetime.

[Meg Blanchet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love the depth and thoughtfulness that Amy Harmon brings to her books. She does a beautiful job of researching deeply into various cultures as she did hear with the Navajo and with the realm of classical music another beautiful book.

[Beth · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love this so much! Not your typical love story. So rich with emotion, longing, joy, loss and love. Amy Harmon never disappoints!

[Marianne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a book worth reading. The main character, Josie, becomes friends with a Native American boy, Samuel, when she’s 13. He is 17. They sit together on the school bus and listen to classical music, read books and talk about life. After he graduates, he leaves to join the Marines …. I don’t want to give any spoilers…. The characters are well developed, plot good and audio book reader was perfect. This might be something a female would like better, but maybe not. Try reading or listening to it.

[Dally Ridgway · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is Amazing writing that is thought provoking. This book is a piece of true art.

[Carla H · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every time I read a novel by Amy Harmon I think: “this one is my favorite, for sure.” Thank you, Amy Harmon, for feeling so deeply and sharing the words to describe them perfectly. I’m on my second round of reading all of your books and enjoying them just as much as I did the first time! ❤️

[Laura Klowan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely loved this book. The characters were very well developed and changed as they grow older. I enjoyed the education I got in classical music as well as Navajo folklore. Beautifully written and I definitely highly recommend!!!

[Marne Keller-Krikava · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sweet predictable story. The writing was not very sophisticated. Too laden with religious doctrine. One religion has not a monopoly on morals or love.

[Kathleen J. Ford · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful story of a love that lasts over time.

[juvy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

She did it again. Loved the story. I usually listen in the car but didn’t want to stop. Another “just one more chapter” book.

[bookandsword · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.25/5 stars

I'm on a quest to read all of Amy Harmon books and I only have like 4 books to go. Which makes me both really proud of myself and really sad - because that means from now on I will have to wait for new books to be released.

I just can't seem to get enough of Amy's writing, of her characters and of the emotions that flow through each and every one of her books.
Speaking of amazing characters - I related to Josie on such a deep level that she immediately shot up to number 2 of my "all time favorite female characters list" - number one still being taken by Lark from The Bird and the Sword, yes also by Amy Harmon.

Josie is a book worm, and not just because she says so (which I find to be the problem with many books that try to portray their characters as bookish, but fail) but because she is truly one. Josie began reading to escape her reality, and she never stopped because books became such a big part of who she was. She didn't just read for pleasure - she read to learn, to discuss, to speculate and to broaden her horizons. I admired that about her the most, as that reminded me once again to read quality books because everything I put into myself reflects on who I am.

​But I got off track with my bookish views. Josie loves to garden - she loves to feel the soil below her toes and she loves too cook with all of her fresh vegetables - if that's not an image of me, I don't know what is. If Josie Jo was a real person she would have been my best friend.

“I hated making small talk and avoided people in the grocery store and other places just so that i wouldn't have to think of things to say. I liked people, i cared about them, and i wanted to be a good person, but don't make me chat idly on the telephone or make pleasant conversation just for the sake of being polite." -I've never related more!
​
Running Barefoot is a story about young love, but it's also a story of restraint and waiting. Waiting till the time is right, waiting and believing that the person who was meant for you will in the end be indeed yours.
​The novel starts when Josie is 13 and Samuel is 18 and I absolutely adored the way it was handled. Under the circumstances that could have been the worst, their friendship and love remained the purest.

​Now, sure Samuel is literally an 18 year boy out of the dreamland - besides being a very angry, lost and closed-up teenager, he turned out to be the utmost gentleman. I loved Samuel's heritage story and how he struggled to fit in, being half Native American and half white. His tribe didn't think him native enough, and his white peers didn't consider him white enough. Samuel was stuck in a limbo of anger and resentment and the way he found his place in the world was truly beautiful.

And just because I have't met anybody like Samuel in real life, does't mean that boys like him do not exists. For the sake of all the young girls in the world, I hope they do. I also hope that more girls read this book and realize what they truly deserve and what true love could really be if they are only patient enough.

“Like a shoe that has lost its mate is never worn again, I had lost my matching part and didn't know how to run barefoot.”

I inhaled this story and I am sure that this is a novel that I will re-read many times in the future. Only thing was that I expected this book to be more emotional to me than it was. Sure I teared up a few times, but having read Amy's other books, I was excepting a full out cry fest. The event that was supposed to leave me in tears didn't because for me there wasn't enough momentum leading up to it.
​But there were many other precious moments, and amazing life lessons that I will cherish forever.

[emily1s · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's hard to find a book more eloquently written than Running Barefoot. It's probably the first book I've read that is highly centered around religion of some sort, and I didn't seem to mind.

This novel is absolutely stunning and so beautiful that I found it difficult to stop reading. Although it is quite long, I read it in the span of a day. Slowly soaking in the rich tales of the Navajo and the sweet musical musings.

It was difficult not to fall in love with Josie and Sam, and then feel the heartbreak when things just weren't right with them.

Memorable. That is the single word to describe this delightfully heavy book.