HEART AND SOUL

A Maeve Binchy audiobook is a bit like a beloved family television drama: charming and absorbing, alive with appealing imagery and voices, and neatly stitched up by the end. Sile Bermingham's performance is impressive. She negotiates the considerable cast of characters with aplomb, changing accents and personalities effortlessly to add to the listening experience. As the title suggests, the novel is centered on a cardio health clinic in Dublin, but the true focus of the story is, indeed, the souls who work there. Each character is developed in true Binchy form, springing out as if three-dimensional, thanks to back stories and clever twists. Bermingham adds a finishing touch to each portrait with her lively performance. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2009]