THE UNAMERICANS Stories

Jennifer Van Dyck narrates Antopol's eight riveting short stories, which follow Jewish families and dramatize the impact their histories have on the present day. Van Dyck uses a consistent quick rhythm for most of the stories, often ending each line in a staccato style. At times, this steady pace has a repetitive quality. But there are also moments when she embodies the emotions of certain characters, such as the angry sentimentality between two brothers in the story "Minor Heroics" or Boaz's loneliness in the final story, "Retrospective." Van Dyck captures piercing moments that are compelling and empathetic. Her urgent and occasionally unvarying tone links Antopol's stories. The listener recognizes a similar theme in each work--the desire to belong. T.E.C. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2014]