THE BOY IN THE FIELD

This audiobook production of Margot Livesey's arresting new novel has its shortcomings but is still well worth one's time. Three siblings walking home from school discover a boy lying unconscious in a field beside the road. In alternating chapters, and in vivid and precise detail, we follow the impact of Matthew, Zoe, and Duncan's discovery upon them. Narrator Imogen Church captures the rhythms and tone of Livesey's prose, but her character voices, especially the male voices, sound labored and often strain the meaning of a line. Many listeners will be swept up by the story regardless and find this a wise, engaging, and deeply satisfying novel. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2020]