LEARWIFE

The king is dead--but what of the queen? Narrator Juliet Stevenson performs this dramatization of an imagined Shakespeare character with the aplomb of the stage actor she is. As this debut novel plumbs the aftermath of King Lear's death, Stevenson's voice affects grief, outrage, and fear of Lear's imagined middle-aged widow. But how does she express these emotions and still live past the tragic events of the play? Best portrayed by Stevenson are the rage and sorrow of her husband's foolish act to divide the kingdom between her daughters. It's rare that a narrator and a narrative are so perfectly matched. Fans of the play will delight in this exploration of issues that still resonate some 400-plus years later. R.O. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2022]