WHAT I LEAVE BEHIND

One hundred chapters of 100 words each. The central structure of Alison McGhee's book may be lost on listeners, but it is compensated for by Michael Crouch's honest, gentle rendering of 16-year-old Will, who is trying to make sense of his father's suicide. Will spends his free time attempting to replicate his father's "famous" cornbread and walking around town. On his walks he helps people in need of comfort by leaving small gifts, purchased at the dollar store where he works. Crouch perfectly connects to Will's emotional turmoil at the loss of his father, suggesting Will's mood through an understated pitch and an unhurried cadence that keep this sorrowful story from slipping into sentimentality. It's a difficult job that Crouch manages with superb skill. S.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2018]