BASED UPON AVAILABILITY

At first listen, this audiobook seems like a gossipy glance behind the doors of a Manhattan hotel, but the lives of the eight women who pass through those doors are too filled with longing to offer such lighthearted diversion. Thérèse Plummer’s performance is deft, even though the shifts in point of view are initially difficult to detect. Once the listener is accustomed to the book’s structure, however, the novel is engrossing, even though the scenes offer a rather negative commentary on women and what they want. These women want most what is not available to them—lost love, a baby, a home, sobriety, or a feeling of control—and, despite Plummer’s confident performance, their stories can be tough to enjoy. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2010]