AN AMERICAN CHILDHOOD

Annie Dillard’s memoir provides a detailed look at her somewhat privileged childhood in Pittsburgh in the 1950s. She has an amazing ability to remember even minute details of her early years as she seamlessly weaves Pittsburgh’s history into her own. Tavia Gilbert delivers the poetic words with all the meaning and emotion that Dillard invested in them. It would be easy for a narrator to lull the listener to sleep with the microscopic details of the memoir, but Gilbert’s portrayal of a quiet yet vital life captures the listener’s attention. Listeners will hear Dillard’s respect for life, nature, and family clearly in Gilbert’s careful delivery. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2011]