WISE MEN

Hilly Wise is determined not to be anything like his father, Arthur, a renowned litigator whose legendary wealth Hilly despises. Narrator Bernard Clark characterizes both voices with so much contrast that there's no doubt the two men are polar opposites. The sarcastic and pessimistic Hilly stands out perfectly against the exuberant and bombastic Arthur. The setting of the story ranges from the shores of Cape Cod, where Hilly fancies the niece of Lem Dawson, the black caretaker of the Wise property, to the fields of Iowa, where Hilly's verboten love, Savannah, resides. Clark paints that forbidden romance with equal parts frustration and sarcasm. Nadler's story of opportunities lost and found is well crafted, and Clark is a wonderful storyteller. S.C. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2013]