SWEET & SORROW

Tanya Eby passionately narrates her unique audiobook: equal parts cookbook, poetry, and memoir. Eby speaks to listeners as if they were fast friends, sharing an embarrassing story and joking about cooking cheats. She swears in an inoffensive way that is enhanced by her girlie voice. Grief is discussed in the most tender and empathetic tone, followed by a recipe and a pep talk. In another chapter, she pretends to be her 7-year-old self reading an essay in a childish voice about sandwiches. Eby groans with pleasure that will have listeners noting recipes to make later. Her performance highlights her audiobook's keen visual imagery. Slurred speech and multiple attempts at saying "Sriracha" as Eby details Hangover Hash Browns are hilarious. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2020]