THE GREAT UNEXPECTED

Narrator Aiden Kelly takes listeners into the Hilltop Nursing Home, where curmudgeonly widower Joel Monroe is unhappily living out his last years. Kelly injects Joel's voice with anger, especially when he's railing against the people he resents for taking his independence away. Kelly expertly injects secondary characters with unique voices, bringing their personalities to life. From the deep, sonorous tones of Mighty Jim to the friendly voices of Una and nurses Liam and Angelica, the sad confusion of daughter Eva, and the no-nonsense proclamations of "The Rhino," Kelly balances humor and pathos in this poignant look at the sidelining of our elderly. And when former soap opera star Frank de Selby enters Joel's life, their adventures and dialogue are filled with mischief, mutual respect, and affection. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2019]