SAME AS IT EVER WAS

Hearing the dry, intense voice of narrator Emily Rankin as she portrays Julia Ames is like being a psychoanalyst who is listening to a particularly troubled patient. Julia grapples with her identity as a daughter, wife, mother, friend, and, briefly, an adulteress. She is insecure, emotionally vulnerable, witty, pessimistic, and totally self-absorbed. Rankin presents all aspects of Julia's personality: her moods, her longings, her hatreds, and her sardonic sense of humor. This immersive family drama moves back and forth in time. There are solid depictions of the many people who impact Julia's life. Anita, Julia's cold, struggling single mother, is especially well drawn. Listeners won't like her, but they will come to understand her. This detailed portrait of a woman is lengthy and absorbing. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2024]