THE CHILDREN'S BOOK

With Rosalyn Landor's superb reading of Byatt's novel, set in the years from 1895 to the end of WWI, listeners become completely absorbed in the lives of the large Wellwood family. The story is centered on the mother, Olive, a celebrated author of children's fantasies. Landor meets the challenge of delivering this lengthy novel, which interweaves multiple elements: the story of the Wellwoods’ complex relationships with other families in the Kent countryside, the stories Olive has written for children, and extensive passages providing artistic, intellectual, social, and political details of the era. Landor narrates with a mellow tone and an unhurried tempo, and gives each character a distinct voice. A better pairing of narrator and novel can't be imagined. Audio is the perfect format for this finalist for the 2009 Man Booker Prize. C.R.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2009]