LOVE AND OTHER IMPOSSIBLE PURSUITS

Emilia Greenleaf falls apart after her daughter dies of SIDS, and the emotional fallout leads her to sabotage her relationships with her parents and her precocious 5-year-old stepson, William. Ellen Reilly is suitably emotional when needed and reads Emilia's narration with wit, warmth, and irony. She does an equally good job in portraying William, bringing into focus a confused, scared, and extremely smart child. Thanks to Reilly, Emilia's anger comes across subtly, as does her hidden guilt surrounding her baby's death. Even as Emilia mistreats and harshly judges those she loves, Reilly's reading allows her, and those in her orbit, to be viewed sympathetically. The abridgment is done well--the story unfolds at an appropriately steady pace. H.L.S. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 07]