THE QUIET AND THE LOUD

In an Australian accent, Olivia Mackenzie-Smith ushers listeners into the world of 18-year-old Georgia, who is haunted by flashbacks caused by her father's alcoholism and abuse. Mackenzie-Smith captures Georgia's complexities. Kayaking brings her quiet, a metaphor for feeling calm. But other aspects of her life are loud, that is, upsetting--in particular, the neediness of her best friend and her mother's silence about the past. Amid these buffeting feelings, Georgia finds joy in a new love, Calliope. Mackenzie-Smith delivers all the necessary poignancy as Georgia hears the wise counsel of her stepmother. By the end, she is able to voice secret truths and insist on being heard. S.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2023]