THE GOOD PEOPLE

Early-nineteenth-century Ireland is a world of superstition, poverty, and survival, a world that narrator Caroline Lennon describes in her strong Irish brogue. Nora finds herself caring for her 4-year-old grandchild, Michael, who doesn't speak or walk. She's helped by Mary, a young woman hired to work in the house and care for Michael, and Nance, a wise woman and a pagan who knows herbs and perhaps the ways of the good people. Lennon shifts from short phrases for the narrative, which is often a little stiff, to fluidly read the dialogue. The story unwinds slowly, forcing listeners to pay attention to the subtle details interspersed with quick glimpses of the good people, the elves, and other creatures of that place of which folktales are told. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2018]