THE WINTER VAULT

Karen White highlights the lyrical writing in poet Anne Michaels's first novel. Set in Egypt in 1964, the story revolves around Avery and Jean, a Canadian engineer and his botanist wife, who are living on a houseboat as Avery helps manage the disassembly and reassembly of Abu Simbel temple before a dam is built. Avery is obsessed with his wife and with the raw power of his work—taking apart a massive temple; Jean is obsessed with the flood that will occur. Michaels has written a moody story of loss and renewal that often reads like prose poetry. White's narration honors the author's elegiac, romantic voice, while also lifting the narrative when, on occasion, it slows just a bit too much. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2010]