A SUMMONS TO MEMPHIS

Boyd Gaines brings bounce and life to this Pulitzer Prize-winning (1987) story of family relationships. He takes the listener through the Carver family's hasty retreat from Nashville to Memphis when a business partner cheats the patriarch. Gaines emotes the sorrow and anger the family feels at this reversal of fortune, which affects their ensuing lives and relations. He reserves a Tennessee accent for a few poignant occasions in the story. Although the family members come to some understanding of each other by story's end, they continue to sabotage each other's hopes for happiness. Gaines's delightful reading makes it nearly impossible to stop listening; however, long lapses between the conclusion of a CD and the announcement of its end are needlessly disruptive, causing the listener to repeatedly check the player. J.J.B. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2008]