THE SUMMER BOOK

If ever there was an audiobook that conjures the timeless feeling of languid summer days, this gem is it. Natasha Soudek narrates these vignettes of a grandmother and her young granddaughter, Sophia, who are spending their summer together on a small island in the Gulf of Finland, where they go on adventures, exploring their environs and conversing about life. Soudek is expressive as she portrays the gravelly voiced, sometimes prickly grandmother and the emotive, excitable, curious child. Overall, the pacing is slow in a good way as a contemplative, dreamy feeling evokes the sense of being on a small island, surrounded by the treasures of nature, with nothing particularly urgent to do. S.E.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2022]