IRONWEED

Francis Phelan isn't an ordinary bum: He's an ex-Big League infielder, a husband who ran out on his family, and a short-tempered survivor who killed when he had to. Back in his hometown of Albany, after decades on the lam, Phelan is overwhelmed by memories. Narrator Jonathan Davis guides listeners through the surreal world of life on the streets in the late Depression, where Phelan talks as easily to the dead as he does to his companions. Taking an objective tack, Davis is respectful of the hobos, maintaining their own odd mix of self-worth and self-loathing. As Phelan loosens the emotional knots of his past, Davis steps back just enough to let listeners be haunted by the words. C.B.L. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2012]