THE HOUSE ON BEARTOWN ROAD A Memoir of Learning and Forgetting

When Elizabeth Cohen finds herself single and raising her toddler alone in upstate New York while at the same time caring for her father who has been stricken with Alzheimer’s disease, she does what any former reporter would do. She writes about it. Bernadette Dunne’s voice is pleasant and articulate, but it doesn’t match the despair in this memoir of loss. Surprisingly, the voice Dunne performs the best is that of Cohen’s father. She captures his confusion and gruffness, convincingly portraying his age and infirmity. In contrast, the way she performs the baby talk of toddler Ava is mostly annoying. What’s most unsettling about this performance is the even, placid tone Dunne maintains throughout Cohen’s depiction of her grief and rage at being left by her husband just as her gentle father’s mind is abandoning her as well. R.F. 2005 Audie Award Finalist © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 04]