LINES OF COURAGE

Jodie Harris narrates this compelling historical fiction, which begins with the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria and the opening of WWI. The story weaves together the perspectives of five young people who are immediately impacted: Austro-Hungarian Felix Baum, a Jewish boy; Elsa Dressler from Germany; Kara Webb, a British nurse's daughter; Juliette, a French girl who works to get her father out of prison; and Dimitri Petrenko, a Russian soldier. While these interconnected storylines will compel listeners through the audiobook, Harris's performance does not lift Nielsen's narrative to the next level. At times, her delivery sounds flat, in contrast to the action and tension that undergird the story. Harris is undoubtedly talented, but this particular book is not the right fit. P.C. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2022]