THE FRIEND

In this writerly audiobook, a middle-aged author inherits an aging Great Dane after her friend's suicide. As she learns to care for the animal and struggles with the loss of her friend, she reflects on the friendship, and on writing, literature, and humans' relationships with their pets and each other. Hillary Huber's gravelly, frank delivery complements Nunez's unnamed narrator, who is by turns unflinchingly honest and frustratingly opaque about her own grief. Subtle vocal changes differentiate characters, but the novel belongs mostly to the protagonist. Huber's warm, wry narration keeps the listener engaged through diversions and flashbacks that make up this unusual, thought-provoking novel. E.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2018]