LIVING TO TELL THE TALE

García Márquez intended to write three memoirs but never got past this one, which ends before his marriage with his first departure from Colombia. The audiobook does leave us hanging, with most of his literary career yet to come, but one part of the author's life has come to a close. Possibly the most interesting part to the author's fans will be the portrait of Aracataca, the town where he grew up, which he transformed into Macondo, the town in ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE. Christopher Salazar's narration is warm and conversational. His Spanish accent is exemplary, his French less so-- although there are many fewer French words here. The smattering of English mispronunciations is a minor annoyance. D.M.H. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2021]