THE FLOATING WORLD

Christa Lewis sensitively narrates this post-Katrina story of a married couple, their two adult children, and their paternal grandfather. They're disconnected by marital discord, dementia, and trauma as they reunite in New Orleans to face the burden of rebuilding their homes and their lives. Lewis makes each character's grief and guilt palpable through her delivery of dialogue and vivid descriptions. Each character speaks in a distinctive Southern cadence. Cora, the daughter who defiantly stayed behind, speaks little, though Lewis makes her fragile presence weighty. Lewis also brings forth the burdens that Joe and Tess, Cora's parents, carry with a subtle slowness in her voice. Overall, Lewis masterfully presents a placid story, in which tragedy lurks below the water level. M.P.P. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2018]