THE GOOD SON

Vivienne Leheny's narration delivers the intense feelings of Thea Demetriou, who has just brought her 21-year-old son, Stefan, home from prison. Leheny captures Thea's terrible mix of mother love and disbelieving shock that her son, in a drugged stupor, apparently murdered his girlfriend. Leheny depicts Thea's conflicting feelings of shame at what he did and pride in his creation of the Healing Project, a venture aimed at helping perpetrators make amends. Her frustration turns to anger and sometimes fear at constant protestors, a mysterious caller, and a hooded figure who torments her family. In addition, she is experiencing a niggling feeling that things just don't add up. Leheny's dramatization enhances the emotional power of this gripping story. S.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2022]