LAKE BURNTSHORE

Narrator Samantha Piper takes listeners to Camp Burntshore, a Jewish camp on a fictional lake in Ontario. This summer several staff vacancies have been filled by young members of the Israeli Defense Forces. They fit in way better with the horny, seemingly perpetually high counselors than does protagonist Ruby, a staunch anti-Zionist. Piper's staccato narrative style works well for the most part, and she toggles smoothly between Canadian and Israeli accents. However, at times she sounds more mechanical than engaged. Also, former campers among her listeners will wince every time she pronounces the acronym for counselor-in-training (CIT) as "sit" instead of naming the letters. Listeners who navigate these speed bumps will find the story diverting--if not as provocative as the premise suggests. V.S. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2025]