TO BE A MAN Stories

Award-winning author Nicole Krauss's excellent first collection of short stories brims with many of the themes of legacy, identity, and love that run through her bestselling novels. These are stories about how to be and how to be yourself within the embrace and confines of family and society. Krauss narrates the book herself in a light and attractive voice, with easy pacing and exquisite enunciation. Yet her tone is so tranquil that it sounds either as if she's reading aloud while sleepwalking or reciting old fairy stories. Given Krauss's interest in history and heritage, and plots that hint of magic, the latter may have been the intent. It's not unpleasant, but for some, it might create unintended distance between the listener and Krauss's wonderful stories. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2020]