LANNY

This extraordinary audiobook, performed by a quartet of talented narrators, will have listeners devouring its fabulist story while wishing it would never end. The one-of-a-kind Dead Papa Toothwort, a mythological creature existing for centuries in the woods outside an English village, is brought to menacing life by David Timson's deep, raspy timbre and deliberate phrasing. Listeners hear forest sounds as Dead Papa Toothwort travels to the village edge to listen to a stream of conversational snippets vocalized in a spectacular array of accents and inflections. Dead Papa Toothwort's favorite is Lanny, whose sweet nature and acute intelligence are portrayed by Clare Corbett. For Lanny's mother, she employs a bright voice and nervous expression. The tension is almost unbearable when Lanny goes missing. An unforgettable listen. M.J. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2019]