THE COOKBOOK OF COMMON PRAYER

With an easy Down Under accent, Sancia Robinson tells the story of a Tasmanian family whose son is killed in a caving accident while on a gap year overseas. The father, Gabe, flies to England to recover the body while his wife, Gill, hides the death from their anorexic daughter. Robinson depicts Gill's almost frenetic efforts to maintain normalcy in Gabe's absence, shepherding the grandfather with dementia and dismissing the needs of the easygoing youngest child, Teddy. Gill, a cookbook author, copes by writing ridiculous recipes, which Robinson delivers with relish. In England, Gabe becomes obsessed with researching the fatal accident and spending time with his son's girlfriend. Robinson's accent for the Irish girlfriend, sadly, is overdone, but her narration of Teddy's chapters is charming. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2023]