CLOUDMAKER

Narrator Julia Whelan delivers a smart, sassy pair of cousins who share a love of aviation. In the summer of 1937, in Big Coulee, Montana, 14-year-old Houston "Huck" Finn crashes his glider into a trout stream while trying to teach himself to fly. In the water he finds a dead man who is wearing a valuable Lindbergh watch. Huck reports the crime but takes the watch--an act that has repercussions. When 18-year-old cousin Annelise arrives, it turns out she can pilot the airplane Huck is building. Whelan makes the youngsters believable and likable. Her portrayals of the other characters, especially Huck's mom, are also standouts. Superb writing and a terrific narrator, as well as gangsters, cowboys, and airplanes, all make for enjoyable listening. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2021]