THE DROWNING HOUSE

When photographer Clare Porterfield is called home to Galveston after having been in exile for 10 years, she accepts, hoping to finish mourning a recent loss and to reengage with life by organizing an exhibit of historic photographs and documents. Narrator Ann Marie Lee's breathy, emotive voice is well suited to Clare's mood of introspection and observation as the young woman's research begins to uncover family secrets and shake the foundations of local high society. Lee modulates her inflections so listeners can distinguish among the characters but maintains an overall dreamy feeling that reflects a general sense of otherworldliness as the details of Clare's childhood and the facts behind one of Galveston's treasured myths slowly take shape, revealing a shocking and inescapable truth. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2013]