SMALL RAIN

Garth Greenwell's narration of his intimate third novel is breathtaking. When a searing pain sends him into the ICU in the fall of 2020, an unnamed poet endures a period of fear, loneliness, unending medical humiliations, and surprising moments of tenderness. In his hospital bed, interacting with nurses and doctors and, once a day, his partner, L., he muses on his past and future, poetry, beauty, his body, and death. Greenwell's narration has the cadence of poetry, but it's not forced or styled; it feels completely natural, unedited. This is a beautiful and potent novel about paying attention. For the narrator and, thus, for listeners everything matters--from the taste of a chip to the life of an old oak. It's an unforgettable performance. L.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2024]