IN WEST MILLS

Narrator Bahni Turpin brings the North Carolina town of West Mills alive through her stellar portrayal of Azalea ("Knot") Centre, the feisty, ornery, liquor-drinking protagonist of this audiobook. Knot is the center of this town, and Turpin keeps to a sharp-tongued mannerism that represents Knot and the people connected to her. Over a period of 46 years, this rural environment reshapes itself through its community. Turpin has a voluminous, steady speech pattern that represents West Mills. The intense relationships are the knots that progressively tighten throughout Turpin's narration. Beyond the sometimes objectionable actions of Knot and other community members, there are warmth and an uncanny compassion in Turpin's tone that reflect love. T.E.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2020]