A LETTER IN THE WALL

Tanya Saari skillfully narrates a novel inspired by the few details contained in an actual letter found in author Eileen Brill's new home. Listeners meet manipulative Quaker Joan Dumann, who obsesses about how she is perceived despite her success and wealth. Nasty Joan, well rendered by Saari, marries three times, has four neglected children, and moves from Pennsylvania to Oklahoma. Saari is gripping when tragedy strikes after Joan unwisely joins forces with shyster Chuck, whom she thinks she can outsmart, in a horse auction. Well-rendered historical facts about the Depression, two world wars, and the death of her strict Quaker father provide verisimilitude. The highlight is a good-natured Irish character named Ellen, who subtly pulls the story together. Saari's conversational style is ideal for mercurial Joan and her topsy-turvy life. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2024]