THE YEAR OF THE FLOOD

Twenty minutes of patience rewards listeners with hours of a thought-provoking story in Atwood's latest. The production starts slowly with an engrossing narrative that shifts back and forth between the before and after of a "waterless flood" that nearly destroyed humankind. Members of the "Gardener" faction pursue a pacifistic, environmentally friendly lifestyle in a world owned by monolithic corporations and consumed by random violence. As the Gardeners' leader, narrator Mark Bramhall delivers sermons followed by performances of the group's songs. Bernadette Dunne and Katie MacNichol both voice survivors with just the right amount of authenticity. The depiction of futuristic social changes alongside contemporary phenomena like text messaging and cosmetic surgery makes the horrors of Atwood's future all the more immediate. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2009]