THE NORTH WATER

John Keating is the perfect narrator for this story of redemption amid the brutality of a doomed nineteenth-century whaling trip. Keating's Irish-accented voice shifts to fit each of the motley characters who populate the book--from the disgraced and opium-addicted surgeon, Patrick Sumner, to his shipmate, the irredeemably evil Henry Drax, and various other sailors. Keating captures the roughness of most of the men as well as the smoother tones of the officers and gentlemen who try to control things. This story includes bravery, cowardice, treachery, death, whales, bears, and friendship. It is by itself a compelling tale; Keating's performance gives it another dimension and makes it riveting. G.S.D. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2016]