IN THE SHADOW OF THE BANYAN

This debut novel, based on the author’s real-life experiences in the killing fields of Cambodia, is history brought to life—with all the nuances of innocence lost and grief suffered. Narrator Greta Lee does the impeccably written narrative justice with her delivery of the protagonist's voice, wrenching empathy from the spellbound listener. Lee's tone has a sweetness befitting the child's perspective from which the story is told. Her gentleness also serves to keep the bleakness of the plot from overwhelming the listener. The cadences of the well-crafted sentences provide a narrative drive that sweeps the listener into the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge as though they were happening now. M.R. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2012]