CAPE MAY

In Chip Cheek's intense, erotic debut novel, narrator George Newbern offers perfect voices for innocent newlyweds Henry, 20, and Effie, 18. In 1957, the Georgia couple honeymoon in Cape May, New Jersey, where they begin to discover the pleasures of each other. But it isn't long before they're seduced by the more worldly Clare and Max, and Max's mysterious half-sister, Alma. The hedonistic trio open Effie and Henry's eyes to sensuality they never imagined--with consequences they never considered. In an intimate-sounding delivery, Newbern makes every steamy moment of Cheek's lyrical prose vivid for listeners. Some unevenness in sound quality can be annoying, but one forgives, and almost forgets. Newbern's spot-on performance of this exploration of sexual desire, relationships, and the 1950s makes that possible. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2019]