NIGHT SWIM

Keener’s debut novel tells the story of a Jewish teenager, Sarah, who is looking back from the present to her 1970s adolescence. While her story follows the predictable path of a teenager who acted out after the death of her mother, it’s full of emotion and depth that the listener can identify with. Rachel Botchan narrates in an even, neutral voice. This approach captures the perspective of the adult Sarah but not the drama of her teenage years. Furthermore, it doesn’t engage listeners with the loneliness of the teenager as she seeks love and acceptance outside her family. Botchan provides some variation in her reading, most notably in the childish tones of Sarah’s troubled mother. While Botchan clearly conveys Sarah’s story, her reading lacks the spark that would make this story hard to walk away from. E.N. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2012]