THE FLINT HEART

Narrator Ralph Lister’s tone is warm and authoritative—like a nice cup of hot toddy—a style that is perfect for a story set in England in 1910. Twelve-year-old Charles and 5-year-old Unity undertake a quest to get rid of the Flint Heart, which turned their father into a cold and conniving person. Lister’s vocal characterizations are excellent. Every affectation reflects and enhances the characters. The toads are coarse, members of the fairy court haughty, and the sentient hot-water bottle sounds as though he suffers a head cold. Lister’s performance is both familiar and fresh, qualities particularly suited to this utterly charming, classic tale. In an afterword, Katherine Paterson describes how this “freely adapted” retelling came to be. A.M.P. 2012 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2011]