THE FAREWELL TOUR

Lillian Waters is a country and western star whose glow has faded-- but hasn't burned out. Carrington MacDuffie offers an excellent performance of this audiobook, lending "Water Lil" an appropriate rough-around-the-edges aura that suits her hardscrabble past. The audiobook is easy to embrace. It's a classic rags-to-riches, root-for-the-underdog, rise-from-the-ashes tale with a likable protagonist and a truly fascinating hero's journey. MacDuffie walks the line between gruff and vulnerable with just the right balance. There are a few awkward moments--vocal inconsistencies that might well slip by without too much distraction--but the narration's strengths outweigh any flaws. Listeners will cheer for Lil as she rises to stardom, falls, and tries to rise again for her farewell tour. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2023]