NEVER KNOWING

Set in Canada and structured as a series of recorded therapy sessions, NEVER KNOWING questions the meaning of family and blood relations. Carrington MacDuffie’s narration sounds less like a reading of a novel and more like a story told by an older woman remembering her youth. Sara Gallagher discovers that her biological father is a famous serial killer and must confront his legacy in herself. MacDuffie narrates in a warm and matronly tone, affecting a higher pitch for Sara; a lower one for her husband, Evan; and a downright menacing one for John, the killer. Even whiny Allie, Sara's daughter, is memorably ear-piercing. While MacDuffie’s cadence falters occasionally, she adds a slight Canadian accent to select words, giving verisimilitude to the setting. A.Z.W. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2011]