THE ANTIDOTE

Karen Russell, the magical realism and prose virtuoso, conjures the American Dust Bowl. Her vibrant imaginings are voiced by a stellar cast. Sophie Amoss shimmers as the Antidote, a "prairie witch" who takes verbal deposits; Asphodel Oletsky, a teen recently orphaned when her mom was murdered, is vividly portrayed by Elena Rey; and the masterful Mark Bramhall inhabits the sane, sensitive, long-suffering wheat farmer, Harp Oletsky. The audiobook's action occurs between two immense weather events six weeks apart in 1935--an epic dust storm dubbed "Black Sunday" bookended by a torrential rain and flood. The novel is set in fictional Uz, Nebraska; highlights include dramatic dust and wind descriptions, a talking scarecrow, and a camera that makes its own photos of the past, the present, and a possible future. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2025]