THE LAST EXECUTION

Surreal would be the best description of this book if only it were not based on truth. In 1853, Denmark exercised the death penalty for a final time, cleaving the head from 15-year-old Niels Nelson. Graham Rowat narrates this imagining of the boy's final hours. His unvarnished reading offers insight into the considerations of townsfolk who view the execution only from their own narrow interests. In between, Niels quietly reminisces about his brief, wretched life. Rowat's most challenging character is a literal fly on the wall of Niels's cell. In contrast to the other characters, who have defined motivations, the fly acts as a Greek chorus of one. He comments in a sprightly, almost gleeful tone about the circumstances and details of the execution. The novel is well done and thought provoking. L.T. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2016]