A SPOOL OF BLUE THREAD

Narrator Kimberly Farr's experience with character-driven novels is evident from her nuanced performance of this compelling story about four generations of Whitshanks and the Baltimore, Maryland, home that bore witness to their public and private histories. One key to Farr's success with this audiobook is the wide range of emotions she employs to capture the characters' individual temperaments as they cope with marriage, parenthood, aging, and adult sibling rivalry. Although reading male dialogue is not Farr's strong point, her consistent voices and excellent sense of pacing connect the listener with the family members and the rhythms of their everyday dramas. Anne Tyler's twentieth novel explores the complex evolution of a family as the Whitshanks--singly and together--face the inevitable changes that come with the passage of time. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2015]