RESERVATION ROAD

The aftermath of a fatal hit-and-run is perceived through the eyes of three eyewitnesses. Ethan and Grace Learner, played by Stanley Tucci and Anne Twomey, have lost their son in the accident. Dwight Arno, interpreted by John Shea, had been driving with his own son when he crashed into the Learner boy, his son's schoolmate. What could turn into an exercise in bathos become truly moving, thanks to three factors--a superb abridgment, excellent acting and tasteful direction. Often in audiobooks, the director's hand can't easily be discerned. Here, however, the consistency in tone among the superb narrators comes audibly from producer Robert Kessler. He has unified the story with a laid-back intimacy. Narrating quietly and close to the mike, the readers provide more dimensionality for their roles than the writer has. In short, this is an example of a production that improves upon the book. Y.R. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/MAR 99]