WE DO WHAT WE DO IN THE DARK

Told in three arresting sections, this poignant novel details a life-changing affair between 19-year-old Mallory and an older, married woman who is a professor at her college. Kreinik's delicate narration mimics the sparse beauty of Hart's prose. She lingers on scenes and sentences, letting them stretch out in time, as they do for Mallory. Though this intensely interior story is focused on Mallory's inner turmoil, Kreinik excels at bringing the characters to life. She captures Mallory's yearning to be loved and her increasing feelings of desperation. Her lover, whom Mallory refers to only as "the woman," has a lilting German accent--polished and assured, at times cutting, at times playful. The differences between them--and maybe what draws them to each other--become powerfully obvious in Kreinik's performance. L.S. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2022]