THE VOLUNTEER

Edoardo Ballerini's magnificent narration of Scibona's remarkable new novel is a gift to listeners. He turns the kaleidoscopic saga into a fully accessible story, and adds clarity to Scibona's habit of scattering the page with a welter of description. The story, which encompasses four generations of men related by blood or propinquity, revolves around Iowa farm boy Vollie Frade, who impulsively volunteers for the Vietnam War after a mild disagreement with his parents. From rural Iowa to Southeast Asia to Queens, New York, to New Mexico, Scibona takes Frade on a mysterious and immersive exploration of identity, love, and loss. Listeners benefit hugely from Ballerini's skill with characterization, and from his acting chops, which turn incantatory writing into edge-of-your seat listening. A.C.S Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2019]