BOOGALOO ON 2ND AVENUE

Mark Kurlansky’s book wouldn’t be out of place among the current crop of “walking” audiobooks, in which narrators stroll though famed neighborhoods discussing the sights. Except in Kurlansky’s novel narrator George Guidall not only takes listeners through a lively neighborhood--New York’s Lower East Side--but also into the past--back to the late 1980s, when real estate prices and crack were both on the rise. Though Kurlansky emphasizes characterization, sometimes at the expense of plot, BOOGALOO simmers with true-to-life moments and dialogue. Guidall does a winning read, covering a varied range of accents--Yiddish, Spanish, Puerto Rican, African-American, and German--all mirroring the range of neighborhood residents. Especially entertaining: the epilogue in which he recites recipes in various chef’s voices. R.W.S. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 05]