THE MOURNER'S BESTIARY

Eiren Caffall lives with polycystic kidney disease, a congenital disorder that killed most of her family members before they were 50. Her performance is graceful and authentic, and she draws the listener into her story with a clear voice and lyrical pacing. Caffall parallels her own ticking time bomb with the developing disaster in the ocean. Her beloved Long Island Sound and Gulf of Maine are polluted from industry and sewage that are making them oxygen-deprived. Warming waters are allowing invasive creatures to crowd out the native species. Caffall's emotions are right there in her voice. She grieves as her father's kidney fails, relishes her son's wonder at a horseshoe crab, and alternately feels proud of her mother or completely let down in their complicated relationship. A.B. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2025]