BLOOMSBURY GIRLS

Juliet Stevenson's performance of this novel about a post-WWII bookshop is vocal virtuosity. Stevenson enlivens a multitude of characters through a spectrum of dialects spanning from plummy to country. Each persona flourishes in the mind's eye--from Evie Stone (the farm lass in Jenner's THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY) to noted playwright Samuel Beckett. Evie, newly graduated from Cambridge University, finds work at a venerable London shop, Bloomsbury Books. There, she meets a cadre of intelligent women--salesperson Vivien, secretary Grace, and cultural figures of the time, including Daphne du Maurier, Peggy Guggenheim, and Ellen Doubleday. Romance and resourcefulness ensue as the fate of the book shop hangs in the balance. Stevenson delivers the satisfying triumph at the end with perfect polish. E.S.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2022]