THE MAP OF TRUE PLACES

Psychotherapist Zee Finch’s life is beset by turmoil. Her father’s in the final stages of Parkinson’s disease, she’s drinking too much, she’s stalling her fiancé about marriage plans, and one of her patients has committed suicide. Alyssa Bresnahan’s perfect diction and cool, precise pacing could seem at odds with the disastrous state of Zee’s mental health. However, as the story unfolds, Bresnahan’s performance allows for moments of gripping suspense, pathos, and frustration as Zee tries to map her true place in the world. While Barry’s plotting is heavy with Transcendental philosophy, fey legend, celestial reckoning, and human guilt, her poignant descriptions of debilitating illness, lifelong secrets, and romantic stirrings, along with Bresnahan’s capable narration, turn THE MAP OF TRUE PLACES into an engrossing listening experience. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2010]