GIRAFFE

Ledgard's novel, based on a true story, takes us from East Africa and the birth of a white-bellied giraffe cow to a Czechoslovakian zoo and the 1975 extermination of the largest captive giraffe herd in the world. Narrators Jamie Heinlein and Pablo Schreiber create characters oppressed by the harsh realities of Czech communism and tempered by dreamy inner moments. Heinlein is particularly poignant as Amina, a nightwalker in a nation of sleepwalkers, who loves the giraffes. Schreiber effectively handles Emil, a scientist who studies blood flow; Tadeas, the virologist who diagnoses the plague among the animals; and Jiri, the hunter who must exterminate the herd as humanely as possible. Legard's haunting story and the understated, powerful performances by Heinlein and Schreiber make this a remarkable listening experience. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 06/ JAN 07]