THE LIVING SEA OF WAKING DREAMS

Essie Davis delivers a powerhouse performance of this novel about climate change by New Zealand writer Richard Flanagan. Winner of the Man Booker Prize, Flanagan has described the book as a "rising scream" about human-wrought ecological havoc. The story, using elements of magical realism, chronicles the struggle of three adult siblings facing their mother's mortality while the countryside burns and oceans heat around them. Davis, best known in the States for the comedic Australian television series "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries," is a revelation. She grabs hold of the listener, commanding attention with a rich, beautifully modulated voice and a ferocious delivery. These are coupled with riveting character portraits of the dying woman and her three vastly different children to create a tough but memorable listening experience. A.C.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2021]