CLEO MCDOUGAL REGRETS NOTHING

Narrator Julia Whelan presents a polished politician. Ambitious, hard-driving Senator Cleo McDougal is faced with the specter of her past when her estranged friend, Marianne, calls her out in a newspaper ad just as Cleo is poised to run for the presidency. Whelan's portrayal is thoughtful, intelligent, and professional. Cleo, who is reviewing a list of personal regrets currently numbering 233, is portrayed by Whelan as reflective in addressing her mistakes and accepting in assessing her past. Whelan's portrayals of other characters, including Cleo's moody teenage son, Lucas, help to distinguish them and breathe life into their personalities. Her deliberate pacing fits well with Cleo's highly controlled persona. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2020]