MILKMAN

Complex. Challenging. Enigmatic. While Burns's Man Booker Prize-winning novel earns those labels honestly, this performance adds another adjective: exceptional. Brid Brennan's portrayal of the unnamed "middle sister" is arresting. Her gorgeously accented voice balances honesty and innocence with toughness and stubbornness. This production keeps the listener in the moment while simultaneously building anticipation for the resolution. However, in a setting reminiscent of 1970s Northern Ireland, the resolution will carry consequences. Brennan's "middle sister," a young woman known for her devotion to reading, even while walking, is drawn into the claustrophobic atmosphere of The Troubles when she draws the unwanted attention of a paramilitary officer. Brennan's pacing and full immersion in the text illuminate this challenging novel, smoothing out the roughest parts and lighting up its virtues. L.B.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2020 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2018]