22 BRITANNIA ROAD

Robin Sachs has a voice that seduces. He lures listeners back to the era of post-War England and deep into the lives of a Polish couple, Janusz and Silvana Nowak. The two were separated by the war, and Janusz, the only survivor of a military massacre, has taken a house at 22 Britannia Road. There he anxiously prepares for a reunion with the wife and son he hasn’t seen in six years. Silvana and Aurek show the ill effects of hiding in the forest and in caves, enduring attacks and scraping out an existence. Sachs adds depth to every poignant moment, never becoming sentimental. Chapters alternate between past reflections and present confusion, and Sachs makes every discomfort, every awkward moment, every ghastly memory real. Robin Sachs gives a must-hear performance of this complex novel. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2011]