THE CARE AND HANDLING OF ROSES WITH THORNS

Gal has become inflexible and stern as a result of living with a kidney condition that has now put her on the waitlist for her second kidney transplant. A science teacher by day and a breeder of roses and dialysis patient by night, Gal finds her life disrupted when her 15-year-old niece unexpectedly arrives to stay while her mother goes abroad for work. Andrea Gallo dramatizes the contrast between Gal’s joy in her roses and her weariness at her daily struggles and the difficulty of maintaining hope for a transplant. Gallo’s voice hints at the vulnerability Gal hides under a gruff manner that contrasts with her passion for her roses and the sense of control they give her. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2013]