THE WATER CURE

Three narrators deliver this grim dreamlike story about young women raised on an isolated island in a dystopian future. When their father disappears and three strange men wash up on their beach, the sisters' world crumbles. Morfydd Clark's cool, clipped delivery emphasizes the eldest sister, Grace's, flinty personality. Hannah Murray portrays the third-person plural chapters, told from all three sisters' perspectives, in a listless tone that captures the damage done to the girls by their cruel parents. Middle sister Lia is at the heart of the story, and Gemma Whelan makes the most of the author's poetic language with an emotive yet nuanced performance. While the listener may notice the narrators' inconsistent pronunciation of one character's name, overall this is a captivating production. E.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2019]