THE BATHHOUSE

Moshiri’s novella is set in Iran in the early days of the Islamic revolution and is narrated by a 17-year-old girl who is arrested because of her brother's political activism. The girl is held in an old bathhouse-turned-prison, where other inmates are routinely tortured and executed. Bernadette Dunne's narration of the young woman's ordeal is rendered poignantly. Her delivery is emotional—the pain and despair of the characters are present in her voice in just the right amounts. The story is unrelentingly depressing, and it might have been tempting for the Dunne to give in to melodrama, but she uses better judgment, and the results make the book easier to listen to than it might be to read. D.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 08]