ARROWS OF LONGING

In early 1950, 25-year-old Gretchen travels to Ireland to work on her doctorate on Irish writers. After becoming ill on her flight, she ends up in the care of Dr. Donovan and convalesces in Dufresne Hall. Cold water for bathing, inedible food, and questionable mattresses plague her visit as Gretchen and the 50-something Donovan yearn for each other’s company. Marie McCarthy reads in patient tones, detailing all Gretchen’s travails. The Irish accents can be difficult to decipher as they are hindered by changes in volume. McCarthy’s narration matches Moriconi’s slowly unfolding romance, so slow that it forces listeners to wait for action that never seems to materialize. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 06]