THE TOPEKA SCHOOL

A trio of narrators tackles an ambitious family drama centered in America's heartland. In the late 1990s, high school senior Adam is a lauded debater with aspirations to win a national championship. Two events at this time in his life take place with far-reaching implications, causing Adam to seek out a means of understanding those events, their aftereffects, and his place in the world. Nancy Linari, Peter Berkrot, and Tristan Wright alternate the narration, portraying Adam, his mother, and his father. Both parents are therapists. The vocal inflections are top-notch, and the characters vividly brought to life, with all three narrators maintaining a sedate pace throughout. However, the difficult subject matter coupled with an unusual story structure and writing style is better suited to reading rather than listening. J.M.M. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2020]