LONG ISLAND COMPROMISE

Even at more than 15 hours, with a story covering several decades, this audiobook never slows its pace as narrated by Edoardo Ballerini. The epic begins in 1980 with the kidnapping of a Long Island factory owner and follows the lives of his three underachieving adult children, all of whom are damaged in their own way by the ordeal. Ballerini expertly captures the Jewish American nuances of the dialogue, which is deeply satirical of wealth and privilege. If there's one stumble, it's Ballerini's decision to deliver text messages robotically--as if to mimic the speed they're being typed. But this is a quibble about an otherwise masterful narration of a thoroughly enjoyable novel. D.B. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2024]