WAYWARD

Listeners seeking a feast for the ears, and for their hearts and minds as well, can do no better than to dive into this intoxicating audiobook, wonderfully performed by Susan Bennett. Spiotta is acclaimed for her well-considered settings, replete with period details, and her portrait of contemporary Syracuse may be her best yet. There is much to ponder here. Bennett's thoughtful pacing and penetrating narration shine a powerful light on Spiotta's dazzling depictions of hot-button issues of privilege, race, feminism, and class. But this story is also an exquisite character study. Bennett's perceptive and nuanced portrayals of the unsettled Samantha; her precocious daughter, Ally; her caring husband, Matt; and her beloved mother, Lily, breathe with vibrancy and complexity. M.J. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2021]