HISTORY OF THE RAIN

Williams's audiobook is a paean to Ireland, poetry, literature, and the way stories help us discover the meaning of our lives. Nineteen-year-old Ruth Swain, confined to her boat-shaped bed, explores her family history and the 3,958 books left behind by her late father, a poet. Jennifer McGrath's exquisite narration brings the lyricism of Williams's prose to life as Ruth uses her confinement to reread her father's library and try to understand his dreams, motivations, and disappointments. The literature itself is a major character in this grand, poetic tribute to the value of story, and McGrath's pleasant Irish brogue transports listeners to the land where the love of story may have been born. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2015]