TABLE FOR TWO Fictions

Edoardo Ballerini meets Towles is a happy alliance in this short story collection. J. Smith-Cameron narrates only one story. Golden Voice narrator Ballerini uses his full range of techniques. By turns nuanced and dramatic, he always serves the author’s fine prose. His smart pace and rich tone work particularly well for the noir novella set in late 1930s Hollywood. Evelyn Ross, from Towles’s novel RULES OF CIVILITY, has now moved on from New York City. Ballerini shines in the opening work, “New York: The Line,” about an average Russian, named Pushkin, who has a gift for helping others with Russia’s long food lines. These works are smaller bore than Towles’s novels, but they too have his touch: finely detailed characters, distinct settings, and deserved comeuppances. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2024]