BLOOD KIN

Dovey's parable concerning political regime change in an unnamed country was parceled out among six distinct storytellers by the author. So it was an obvious choice to also employ the talents of six readers. Still, that was no guarantee that it would work as well as it does. The first three characters who tell the story are the brutal deposed president's barber, his chef, and his portraitist, all now the captives of a man known as the Commander. The last three narrators are women involved somehow with the first three. The change from one character to the next is each time a splash of cold water, a fresh puzzle, and a call for renewed concentration. This proves especially important in a novel so devoted to the nuance of character and to betrayals, small and large. M.O. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2009]