VICTORIA PARK

Part novel, part connected stories, this audiobook features a detailed series of character sketches that center around the titular London neighborhood. Henry Goodman is a deft narrator who creates accents, voices, and three-dimensional personalities for the figures in the novel. At times, his vocal quality becomes so velvety-gruff that phrases acquire an indistinct edge. The listener can readily adapt to this, but it does impact the overall effect of the delivery. Some characters are more believably rendered than others, but the collection creates a world worth visiting, whether one is looking through the eyes of an older neighbor or a younger one. No matter whose story is at the fore, the moments captured through these lives are heartfelt and real. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2021]