MY BEST FRIEND

This superb work of psychological suspense is told from the viewpoints of three people during and after WWII. Gerald is compulsive in his diary writings and obsessively preoccupied with his fantasy life about his deceased siblings; Jo works for Gerald and is concerned that Gerald may be stalking her daughter; and Gerald's Aunt Lillie is an actress in a provincial repertory theater. Anna Bentinck imbues this narrative with intense gothic foreboding. She captures the bombings and ever present fear of death in wartime, as well as the lifelong effects of ignoring children. Bentinck uses her voice masterfully to move between changing points of view and time periods. K.A.T. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 05]