THE SMELL OF OTHER PEOPLE'S HOUSES

Four narrators tell the story of teens in a 1970s Alaska fishing town. Jorjeana Marie portrays Ruth in a soft, slow voice that expresses the character's lyrical nature and a longing born of contrasts. Ruth's early life was idyllic before her father died and her mother went crazy. She faces the antithesis of her earlier life with her harsh grandmother. Dora, portrayed by Erin Tripp, suffers abuse from her father and sounds world-weary. The voice of Alyce, read by Karissa Vacker, is brighter, reflecting the possibilities she has due to having money and parental understanding. Robbie Daymond dramatizes the burdened, fearful Hank, who has escaped a cruel stepfather. Stories connect and relationships build as these talented narrators weave individual experiences into a tapestry that evokes Alaska's cultural and emotional landscape just after statehood. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2016]