THE LAKE'S WATER IS NEVER SWEET

Carlotta Brentan narrates Giulia Caminito's English-language debut, giving its main character, Gaia, two believable voices. Set in Italy in the 1990s, this novel recounts the struggles of the Colombo family, who seek to rise out of poverty and find their place in a judgmental society. Brentan takes listeners into teenage Gaia's mind, emphasizing her frustration and embarrassment at her family's dysfunction. Brentan gives Gaia a realistic Italian accent. Antonia, her strong-willed mother, sounds angry and uncompromising as she struggles against the barriers that keep her family in poverty. Massimo, the disabled father, who is forgotten by his employer and society, sounds hopeless, while Gaia's anarchist older brother puts words into action. The author's note provides historical context. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2025]