THE CIGAR ROLLER

In a beautiful baritone, Stefan Rudniki narrates the life of Amadeo Terra, who lies in a hospital bed unable to move or speak although his thinking process works continually. At the taste of mango from a baby food jar, he begins to recall his former life, at which point we rely on the narrator to change rhythms from the now to then. But there is no change of beat. And why does the narrator read with an accent? As he recalls his early years in Cuba, the colors of his past are enriched with the flavors of Spanish, but the story as read is stuck between the present and the past. J.P. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 05/ JAN 06]