ROCKS IN THE BELLY

This raw story is often difficult to listen to. The nameless main character is deeply damaged and resentful because his parents, particularly his mother, chose to foster children throughout his childhood. And she seems to feel closer to one child, in particular, than she does to him. Author-narrator Jon Bauer portrays the story's two alternating viewpoints: that of the 8-year-old child and that of the same young man 20 years later as a volatile adult. Bauer graphically portrays both the man and his mother, who is later at her son's mercy as she battles cancer and suffers from dementia. Fortunately, the father's more compassionate nature offers a respite from the negativity and pain between the mother and son. A story that offers insight into complex family dynamics. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2012]