THE BISHOP'S BEDROOM

Edoardo Ballerini narrates this gentle and evocative thriller with style. Against the backdrop of post-WWII Italy, an unnamed young man idles away time, putting off his return to work and a more normal life. As he travels around a lake, he meets Orimbelli, with whom he forms a fragile friendship, and they set out on adventures that end in a mysterious tragedy. Ballerini's beautiful Italian accent, applied to place names and people, adds to the depth of the story. His spot-on pacing and characterizations make this a pleasurable listen and give one the confidence that none of the subtleties of the story have been lost in translation from the original Italian. K.J.P. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2020]