THE DICTIONARY OF LOST WORDS

This historical fiction audiobook imagines the origin of the Oxford English Dictionary. Listeners will imagine a garden shed blossoming with myriad slips of paper, all potential submissions for the legendary resource. Listeners in love with words will find Esme, a lexicographer's daughter, a sympathetic protagonist as she tries to find a role in the substantial project. Narrator Pippa Bennett-Warner offers a lyrical intonation and a warm tone, but her delivery tends toward a hasty, sometimes halting, pace and a whispery pitch. There are moments when her sibilant consonants become sharp and distracting. That said, the audiobook certainly creates an absorbing atmosphere that suits the story. The patient, adaptable listener will be rewarded. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2021]