THE CARER

Listeners who appreciate a well-crafted, character-driven novel will value this story illuminating family relationships, presented by the accomplished narrator Patience Tomlinson. Each of the five major characters is well portrayed. We come to understand James, the elderly ex-professor who needs help with everyday living, along with his middle-aged children, who are emotionally blighted by childhood resentments. Then there is the caregiver, Mandy, a "dumpy little godsend," who is crude, chipper, and indispensable. The plot concerns whether Mandy is too good to be true and goes on to seek answers from the past. Tomlinson not only gets the accents just right, she deftly conveys attitude, mood, and emotion. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2019]