O RUSSET WITCH!

Narrator JD Jackson exudes the perfect jazzy style for this F. Scott Fitzgerald short story. Merlin Grainger's entire life is a series of missed moments and frustrated hopes, punctuated by the mysterious appearances of a dazzlingly beautiful woman he mentally dubs Caroline. Jackson's deliciously vibrant narration brings to life Fitzgerald's pointed examinations of class and social aspiration through Merlin's humdrum existence and the way Caroline repeatedly tempts him to blow it up. Jackson skillfully calibrates the voices of both Merlin and Caroline over a period of nearly 40 years. He also takes a wonderfully cantankerous turn as an elderly grand dame who orders around everyone in sight. This all-too-brief production will leave listeners wanting more. N.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2021]