THE PAPER PALACE

Narrator Nan McNamara is the ideal choice to present this first-person novel about a family retreat on Cape Cod. The rustic compound affectionately called "The Paper Palace" has shaped the life of Elle Bishop. This story moves across time, involving loves, lies, secrets, and revelations. McNamara gives Elle a natural-sounding American voice that changes with her age or emotional footing. Her hideous stepbrother, Conrad, is memorably portrayed. Listeners can hear the menace in his voice as clearly as his Louisiana drawl. Equally evocative is the voice of Wallace, Elle's mother. Her acid tone is Waspy, witty, and wonderfully rendered. The pace of this lyrical novel is leisurely but worth one's time. D.L.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2021]