DEPT. OF SPECULATION

Jenny Offill fulfills the roles of both author and narrator in this portrait of love and marriage. The chapters of her novel move quickly, flitting from topic to topic in a stream rather than a simple narration. She narrates evenly, though her words seem clipped. Though at first a little disconcerting, her approach fits her story perfectly. As "the wife" (as the story's protagonist is called) offers her story of courtship, marriage, motherhood, infidelity, and recovery, Offill's reading pulls the listener into her world and captures her experiences and emotions. At just over three hours, this is a quick listen--but a moving and memorable one. E.N. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2014]