A TALE OF ONE JANUARY

The January of this audiobook's title is no ordinary month. In this wintry time, we meet six courageous escapees from Nazi death marches who are thrust together in a battle for survival. Rupert Degas is a master of accents and emotions as he delivers conversations featuring Russian, French, German, and Polish characters whose mindsets swing between relieved exultation and exhausted devastation. The extended conversations are easy to appreciate because of Degas's subtle vocal adjustments. There are few missteps with character development and dialogue. Delivering the exposition, Degas's voice is compassionate and gentle. Snippets of music punctuate the chapters, but these interludes seem incongruous and abrupt, rather than adding dimension to the performance. Degas is all the music this audiobook needs. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2024]