BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS

Narrator Kathleen McInerney transports the listener to Greenwich Village at Christmastime. Kerry Tolliver and her brother, Murphy, have brought Christmas trees from their farm in North Carolina to sell in the New York neighborhood while staying in the run-down trailer they affectionately call "Spammy." Kerry develops a friendship with Patrick and his 6-year old son, Austin. McInerney's depiction of Austin's youth contrasts with her narration of a mysterious elderly gentleman named Heinz. McInerney's gruff presentation of Murphy matches his personality. Kerry is given just a hint of a Southern accent, which is juxtaposed nicely with the slight New York accents of the other characters. McInerney enlivens the whole neighborhood--from the people running the bodega to the harried mother of twins who is buying a tree. S.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2023]