PERESTROIKA IN PARIS

Suzanne Toren narrates this fable with such subtlety and grace that the listener is effortlessly lulled into the fantastic world of talking and thinking animals. Her portrayals of the characters--thoroughbred race horse, shorthaired German pointer, raven, and mallards--that inhabit this audiobook are splendid. Each is given its particular pace, sound, and cadence. The thoroughbred, Paras (short for Perestroika), initiates the merriment when she leaves her racecourse home and heads to Paris. Here she engages with a sly, endearing dog, Frida; an overeducated raven, Raoul; and a cast of other animals and humans, all set in the streets, parks, and courtyards of the City of Light. Paras and Paris shine brightly, and this audiobook is a marvelous listening experience. Novelist Jane Smiley's tale provides an alluring escape. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2020]