IN A HEARTBEAT

This book is, in part, the backstory of the hit movie THE BLIND SIDE, about the couple who were moved to adopt a homeless African-American boy they encountered on the street. Michael Oher grew into a gifted football player who played for the University of Mississippi and now plays for the Baltimore Ravens. The memoir is the Tuohys attempt to show the conviction that was at the root of the family's support of Oher. Because the story is told from multiple perspectives, two narrators are used, and the result is slightly uneven. Sean Tuohy is a radio commentator, so he comes across naturally. His clipped diction adds to the story’s realism. Leigh Anne Tuohy’s narration is personable but too rushed, perhaps reflecting her driven nature. But in sections that provide narrative rather than dialogue her reading sounds forced, with awkward pauses that interrupt the flow. R.C.G. 2011 Audies Winner © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2010]