CARTHAGE

Joyce Carol Oates is one of the most distinguished figures in American letters, and her matchless prose is best enjoyed when spoken aloud. The husband-and-wife team of Susan Ericksen and David Colacci are gifted professionals who narrate this novel and embroil us in the tragedy of the Mayfield family, whose younger daughter, the one they call “the smart one,” goes missing. Some of the most memorable portrayals in this stream-of-consciousness story include the older sister’s protestation of love for her wounded and psychologically damaged fiancé, the mother’s shaken voice as she tries to accept her daughter’s disappearance, and the soldier’s haunted tones as he remembers the horrors of his service in Iraq. This is a disturbing yet compelling listening experience, and its narrators show us the complexity of human experience. D.L.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2014]