DINNER AT THE HOMESICK RESTAURANT

As Pearl Tull lies dying in her Baltimore home, hoping to maintain control over her final days, she and her three children separately recall pivotal moments in their past. The story of the emotionally distant and sometimes cruel Tulls is told from the perspective of each family member, and narrator Suzanne Toren changes tone and timbre to fit each individual. Few families are as disconnected as the Tulls, and Toren successfully projects the characters' complex and layered feelings of competition, longing, pain, and insecurity, leaving listeners to judge the actions taken or words said. Thanks to Toren's sensitive reading, listeners are not pulled under by the difficult themes explored in the novel. Instead, the Tulls' abusive and clueless behavior opens the door for discussion. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2011]