A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

A four-year veteran of WWI, Tom Birkin has been left with a post-traumatic facial tic and stutter. In the summer of 1920, he is hired to uncover a medieval church painting in the Yorkshire village of Oxgodby. Filled with the period detail of a kinder, gentler time, Birkin’s reflection is a sweet exploration of his healing process. Narrator Nick Rawlinson enhances Carr’s elegant prose, moving Birkin from an early, deeply felt sense of resignation into a world of possibility. Rawlinson’s performance of the locals who befriend Birkin, their Yorkshire accents, their country ways, is flawless. As Birkin restores the apocalyptic masterpiece, unlikely friendships, the woman he falls chastely in love with, and the lush summer landscapes all work their magic on a man nearly broken by war. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 03]