THE COOK

This novel, narrated by Carly Robins, focuses on an accomplished self-taught French chef named Mauro and his early career in Paris and abroad. The story is told by a female friend of Mauro, but Robins's voice sounds too youthful to have been Mauro's friend over 15 years of professional challenges. Nonetheless, her perky conversational pace evokes the ambiance of sitting at a sidewalk café. She delivers the vivid prose at a natural pace that allows the listener to enjoy the beautiful phrases of this translation from French. Robins's delivery of the unnamed narrator's quiet joy in Mauro's accomplishments is a calming counterbalance to the chef's intensity. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2019]