THE SECRET OF RAVEN POINT

The time, 1943; the place, an Italian field hospital at the front; the characters, unforgettable as performed by Susie Berneis. She narrates this story of loss and healing with passion and poise. Juliet Dufresne, a 17-year-old American nurse, searches for her missing brother, Tucker, while treating patients wounded and traumatized by war. Dr. Henry Willard, a psychiatrist, studies those hurt and battle-fatigued, particularly Christopher Branaby (who served with Tucker) as he seeks to heal them. Berneis performs this complex story with inflected tones that match the emotions of each scene. Accents range from soft Southern vowels to hard New England cadences, each perfectly matched to the character. Berneis never misses a shift in action, drawing the listener inexorably into the story. M.B.K. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2014]