NETHERLAND

O'Neill's lauded love letter to post-9/11 Manhattan receives an engaging performance from Jefferson Mays, who captures the heartache and numbness of that difficult time. The protagonist, who tells the story in the first person, finds himself adrift—forced to leave his home after the towers fall, and separated from his wife. He becomes involved with several amateur cricket leagues and with a fellow player whose interests are greater than the gentleman's sport. The book has been favorably compared to THE GREAT GATSBY, with good reason, and Mays delivers the story in measured tones that allow the confusion and emotion of the main character to speak for themselves. By the end of the story, listeners will be eager to seek out O'Neill's previous works. M.T. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2009]