CURSED BREAD

Genevieve Gaunt performs this haunting novel with an intimate tone, a dramatic style, and a well-calibrated cadence. She has a lovely voice and gives Elodie, the baker's wife, an authentic rural delivery. Based on real events in Pont-Saint-Esprit, France, in 1951, the story begins with a mass poisoning that remains unsolved to this day. An American ambassador and his mysterious wife, Violet, arrive, and tragedy follows. Both Americans enchant Elodie, whose husband shows little romantic interest in her. The sensual Violet befriends Elodie. Elodie herself shares all of her intimate experiences, and much of the audiobook is told in letters addressed to Violet. The author reveals and conceals information. Her elegant spare prose suits this short, immersive listen. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2023]