NIGHT TRAIN New and Selected Stories

Whoever made the decision to have these powerful, sometimes harrowing, stories narrated by a half dozen narrators is to be commended. The voices of these short stories are distinct and distinctive. Several are clearly unreliable, crazy or self-possessed. To wit: Narrator Kiff VandenHeuvel captures the intensity of "Volcanoes from Hell," while Christine Lakin delivers the dramatic monologue "Daddy's Girl" with just the right accent and tone. Jim Meskimen's narration of the almost incantatory "Way Deep in the Jungle" enlivens a richly evocative short story. Jodi Carlisle's reading of "I Want to Live!" is simply extraordinary. These 26 stories are proof of a tortured talent who left us much to appreciate. One small suggestion: Listen to the stories first--then to Amy Bloom's introduction. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2019]