AFTER ANNIE

Gilli Messer delivers a tender, emotional performance of a family in grief in this contemporary novel. When vibrant and funny Annie Brown suddenly dies, her young family struggles to adapt to life without her. Messer's pleasant, expressive voice lends itself well to the Brown family, as well as their friends, and neighbors; she portrays children, adults, and the elderly with equal success. In the Brown household, teenage Ali attempts to keep everything running while her brothers are angry and confused and widower Bill is shattered by grief. Annie's best friend, Annemarie, finds herself at a loss as to how to interact with the Browns and relapses into pill addiction. Quindlen's story of the complexities of grief is beautifully rendered by Messer's sympathetic narration. C.R. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2024]