BETHLEHEM

This novel shifts in time from the steel-boom era of 1918 to 1962, offering the perfect stage for narrator Christina Delaine's voice, which can be smooth as dark chocolate or sharp as a razor. Her husband's position as head of Collier Steel requires that Joanna and their kids move to the Collier family mansion in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. There, she will assist her mother-in-law, Susannah, and Susannah's mother, Helen. Delaine slips with ease from male to female, young to old, creating flesh-and-blood portraits of fascinating characters, including a cemetery caretaker who talks about secrets and spirits and the mystery of a gravestone marked "Baby Hayes." Delaine's performance highlights the family tensions as well as the love, caring and sacrifice that lead to trust and understanding. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2019]