AND EVERY MORNING THE WAY HOME GETS LONGER AND LONGER

Read any work by Backman, particularly A MAN CALLED OVE, and the first word that comes to mind is "charming." Listen to this particular work by Backman, and that charm is only magnified, made more endearing by narrator David Morse. In this novella, Backman's magical descriptions and character portrayals are captured in Morse's gentle voice. And with the story of a grandfather's memory loss, the charm veers sharply to heartbreak at times. As the listener is transported into Grandpa's confusion, his struggles and those of his family become even more real and challenging. Morse's performance is well wrought, with some understandable lapses into preciousness as Grandpa interacts with his grandson, "Noah-Noah." But these don't detract, and, overall, this audiobook is well worth a listen. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2017]