FOUR LOST CITIES A Secret History of the Urban Age

Narrator Chloe Cannon has a great voice--but not one you'd necessarily choose to describe the dissecting of ancient archaeological sites. Narrator and narrative aren't at odds here, exactly. But neither are they in any way a match. Journalist Annalee Newitz's on-the-spot depictions of Catalhoyuk, Pompeii, Angkor, and Cahokia are close up and personal, and her choices have a certain celebrity value. But Newitz's narrative also conveys a greater degree of sensitivity and understanding than one hears in the narrator's voice. Cannon best conveys Newitz's awe and appreciation as they imagine what life must have been like in these once great cities. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2021]