33 PLACE BRUGMANN

Alice Austen's debut novel is a small jewel, and the multiple narratives by expert audio actors bring light to each facet. The tenants at 33 Place Brugmann in Brussels just before the Nazi occupation live fascinating, if ordinary, lives. But as everything changes, intimate individual portraits of the residents, wonderfully performed, move the plot forward, heighten the tension, and illustrate the wartime dangers each character faces. From building manager Jan Everard to nosy harridan Miss Hobart in 3R, from architect François Sauvin to art dealer Leo Raphaël and their families--each story is filled with intelligent observations, philosophical musings, ongoing mysteries, and stirrings of romance. Austen's compassionate look at a group of people trapped by circumstance allows each textured performance to ring with truth. S.J.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2025]