JOY FOR BEGINNERS

The title may be JOY FOR BEGINNERS, but this audiobook is a sure tearjerker. Each chapter is like a short story that focuses on the lives of six women who are bound together by their friend’s victory over breast cancer. Narrator Cassandra Campbell misses the opportunity to give a unique voice to each woman as her story is presented. Instead, she uses the same quiet voice throughout, drawing out words with a gravelly weariness that has a depressing effect. While the sad tone is appropriate for parts of the story, it is ultimately meant to be inspiring, and Campbell’s somberness makes it difficult to feel the joy. M.M.G. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2011]