BIRD CLOUD

The author of THE SHIPPING NEWS and BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN has written a meditation on place—a bend in the North Platte River in Wyoming—and a process—the careful planning and construction of her house. Proulx, a National Book Award winner, also shares a brief history of her early life—and in her own voice, too. Though Joan Allen is billed as the narrator of this production, Proulx reads the first chapter, which recounts some of her history, debunks a cherished family myth, and acknowledges a debt to a garrulous shopkeeper. When the delivery shifts to Allen with the second chapter, one can’t help feeling a sense of loss as the rough edges of the author’s voice give way to the flawless consistency of the professional. The listener must wait until Proulx’s dream house has been constructed before the audiobook finds its footing again when the author herself revels in the beauty and history of her particular corner of the sky. E.E.M. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2011]