THE FISH LADDER A Journey Upstream

Katharine Norbury meanders like a quiet stream through the British countryside, interspersing sad memories with quiet walks from the ocean to the river mouth. Norbury's lovely British accent and soft tones capture the low-key wandering and introspection at the center of this memoir. After a miscarriage, Norbury walks to take her mind off her sorrow, sometimes taking along her daughter, Evie. Her grief and depression are palpable in her voice. She recounts the death of her father, her mother's illness, and her fruitless efforts to meet her birth parents after treatment for breast cancer. But THE FISH LADDER isn't all dark. Norbury expresses wonder at magical stories of queens, salmon, and the success of a fish ladder in Pitlochry. Her sudden burst of energy to escape the ferocious biting midges in Scotland is almost light. A.B. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2016]