Boy's Life

Protagonist Cory J. Mackenson tells a story of a time and place in which the magic of childhood fades into a precocious awareness of the harsh realities of the adult world. Narrator George Newbern, as Cory, tells the story, looking back on his twelfth summer, in Zephyr, Alabama, in 1964. It starts with a gruesome murder and ends with the realization that, even in an idyllic Southern town, people are full of hidden dark sides. Newbern keeps the listener engaged as the threads of seemingly unconnected vignettes are woven together into a tapestry evoking a time and place that lives only in memory. His delivery is meticulous, with a careful pacing, enunciation, and attention to detail that bring Cory's disparate memories into a unified story. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine

An eleven-year-old is plunged into a world of mystery and evil after he and his father witness the disposal of a murder victim on the outskirts of their idylic Southern town. Richard Thomas's exquisite narration is clear and engaging, comforting the listener with a warm vocal presence before rising with the chill of heartfelt fear. His vocal characterizations--ranging from the innocent drawl of the young boy to the mystical lightness of an elderly African American woman--are effortlessly rendered with subtle skill. Each character is clearly drawn and fully felt, yet the narrative drive of McCammon's elegantly simple writing is never lost. C.T. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine