STUDY FOR OBEDIENCE

Sarah Bernstein performs her critically acclaimed novel in which an unnamed narrator moves to an unnamed northern country to become her brother's housekeeper after his wife leaves him. While her brother is figuring out his affairs, the woman attempts to make friends with the townspeople. But after a series of strange events--a dog's phantom pregnancy, diseased potatoes, the death of a ewe and her lamb--she discovers that her neighbors blame her for all of the bizarre happenings. Bernstein imbues her narration with the sense of otherworldliness that the woman feels as she tries to settle into her new home. Bernstein's performance echoes the uneasiness of the story, making listeners feel as unsettled and anxious as its protagonist. K.D.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2023]