DOWNTON SHABBY One American's Ultimate DIY Adventure Restoring His Family's English Castle

Graham Halstead milks the full scale of drama and humor from American Hopwood DePree's memoir about his discovery of his family's ancestral castle in England and their ensuing attempts to restore its crumbling remains. This is a fun listen, made more so by Halstead's upbeat performance. We are treated to the ups and downs--many downs--of attempting to reconstruct the deteriorated castle, to the tune of millions. Halstead captures the author's sense of humor with a friendly, conversational tone that makes this entire production feel like a close friend sharing his summer exploits. His well-delivered performance underlines the potential this story has for further adaptations for the big or small screen. M.R. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2022]