BIRNAM WOOD

What a listening experience this is—one that grows more compelling chapter by chapter. Author Eleanor Catton and narrator Saskia Maarleveld are both at their peak here, and are perfectly matched in sensibility and skill. Catton’s last novel was a historical picaresque, the 2013 Booker Prize winner THE LUMINARIES, memorably narrated by Mark Meadows. Here, in the contemporary world of drones and tracking devices, Maarleveld assumes the voices of eco-warriors, a predatory billionaire, a hapless New Zealand lord, and his sharp-eyed lady. Maarleveld’s delivery is matchless—fluent and sensitive to the finest nuances of a story whose every turn is unexpected yet entirely plausible. It’s an outstanding act of balance and a remarkable feat of execution for author and narrator alike. D.A.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2023 Best Audiobook © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2023]