SWIMMING HOME

Mentally disturbed Kitty Finch swims naked into the lives of five people on vacation, upsetting plans, equilibrium, and already damaged relationships. Narrator Nicola Barber's performance reflects the tension between the characters. Even before listeners know what the story is about, Barber's portrayals suggest that something is very wrong here. Soon, Kitty's behavior leaves no doubt as she does things like eat chocolate from a rat trap. The vacationers are a family of three ( a philandering poet, his war correspondent wife, and their teenage daughter) and two co-owners owners of a failing business. They're all upper-crust English, and so, appropriately, is Barber's accent. Her sophisticated, subtle performance is highly suitable to this short, unsettling novel. G.S.D. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2014]