THE BIG OYSTER History on the Half Shell

Mark Kurlansky transforms facts into fascinating historical narrative. Producer John McElroy abridges such narrative seamlessly. Tom Stechschulte reads it perfectly. A shush of waves and the cry of a seagull launch Kurlansky’s tale of New York City’s early history, seen through the fortunes of its most important bivalve, the oyster. It’s a fascinating story of greed, gastronomy, and disastrous ecology told with Kurlansky’s typical zest. Stechschulte provides telling accents for some of the historical characters; otherwise, he simply reads--reads, that is, in his scratchy, attractive voice with evident interest and exquisite pacing. This is a match between author, abridger, and narrator that will have audiobook listeners cheering. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 06]