BLACK WOODS, BLUE SKY

Rebecca Lowman performs this atmospheric novel--with a large dash of fabulism--set in the Alaskan wilderness. Birdie is a single mom who is waitressing at a lodge when a man walks in and changes her life. Arthur is an outdoorsman, a man of few words, but it's love at first sight. Birdie and her daughter, Emaleen, go to live with Arthur in his remote cabin, spending the summer days basking in the beautiful Alaskan mountains. It's all idyllic--until a dark element enters the story. While Lowman struggles with the chapters written from Emaleen's perspective, her performance captures Birdie's youth and hope for a better life. Lowman's narration also evokes the feeling of being wonderstruck by Alaska's incredible beauty and raw power. K.D.W. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2025]