APRIL FOOL'S DAY

Bestselling Australian novelist Bryce Courtenay pairs with his usual narrator, the great Humphrey Bower, in this powerful memoir about his son, Damon's, life and death. Don't be deterred by the potentially sad topic, for the story of Damon's life (with hemophilia and AIDS) and his death is as uplifting as it is tear-jerking. Bower reads clearly with his usual exemplary pacing, using different voices only to make a point, such as the officiousness of the Australian doctors. While the subject is, at times, overwhelmingly poignant, Bower never uses an overtly emotive voice; instead he lets the words speak for themselves to fine effect. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2008]