THE SUMMER OF LETTING GO

Four years after Francesca’s small brother, Simon, drowns, she begins falling apart. Narrator Tara Sands tracks Francesca’s courageous summer journey as she confronts an array of fears—from swimming to being honest with her parents and her “bff.” Confusion clouds Francesca’s already complicated emotions when she agrees to babysit Frankie Sky, a 4-year-old boy born on the day of her brother’s death. Is this coincidence, or is Frankie her brother reincarnated? Nearing the story’s climax, Sands expresses the terrible anger that Francesca has denied for years. Even stronger than this crescendo of a performance is Sands’s portrayal of the active, adorable Frankie Sky. His malapropisms and misunderstandings counteract Francesca’s pain—winning her heart and wowing listeners. S.W. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2014]