STILL LIFE WITH BONES Genocide, Forensics, and What Remains

Narrator Rose Akroyd's calm, measured voice provides a lifeline to listeners in this deeply moving memoir. Framed as a recounting of the author's training in forensic anthropology, the audiobook also looks at state violence in Guatemala and Argentina and the way exhumation and the identification of bodies can bring peace--or more questions--to families. Akroyd channels Hagerty's ambivalence toward the tasks she undertakes--from pulling bones from a subterranean well to absorbing the testimonials of victims' loved ones. Hagerty's caring attitude for people both living and dead is made plain, as is the toll of that care: unexplained rashes, headaches, disturbing dreams, and occasional hallucinations. Akroyd's clear, precise diction and immaculate Spanish accent guide listeners through complicated descriptions of decades of conflict. N.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2023]