HUDSON RIVER BRACKETED

The title of this audiobook refers to a style of architecture, Hudson River Bracketed, that was popular during Edith Wharton's lifetime. This is one of Wharton's lesser-known novels. Kate Reading's performance is precise and methodical--therefore, well suited to Wharton's style. Vance Weston is a young man who is finding his footing in early-twentieth-century America. Recovering from illness, he stays with relatives in New York's Hudson Valley, and there a new world opens up. Reading's tone is calm, and her delivery makes the most complex of sentences readily accessible. While her delivery of narrative is strong, the novel's dialogue can be stilted. Nonetheless, devoted listeners will be rewarded with a different kind of Wharton. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2025]