MY OXFORD YEAR

Narrator Julia Whelan performs her appealing debut novel as well as listeners would expect, which is to say, terrifically. The plot is a well-constructed take on the classic romantic drama, this time set in Oxford, where 24-year-old American Ella is studying on a Rhodes Scholarship. Enter her poetry professor, who turns out to be the guy she insulted that morning after he inadvertently trashed her blouse. You can guess the story's direction, but that's part of the satisfaction. And it's all told with an eye for cultural detail. In addition to American Ella and posh-Brit Jamie, Whelan has peopled her novel with Oxford's famous cornucopia of characters. The personalities pop, her pacing is superb, and the realism she injects will keep you wide-eyed. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2018]