Beach listening means no sandy books and you can tune out noisy overcrowded beaches. Here are audio suggestions that, like beach reads, capture you from start to finish.
What if you had the perfect family and didn't recognize it until everything started falling apart? That's what happens in Dani Shapiro's Family History (Recorded Books, $29.99, unabridged, six cassettes, 10.5 hours). When Rachel's daughter Kate becomes trapped in a web of mental illness, it destroys the entire family. This terrible downward spiral will transfix listeners, as will the fragility of a seemingly strong family, and the bonds of love that help them survive. Alyssa Bresnahan's reading captures all the nuances of this emotion-filled book, differentiates the characters and their feelings, and creates a sadness that characterizes the book's mood.
Meet another hurting family in Ursula Hegi's Sacred Time (Simon and Schuster, $39.95; unabridged, six cassettes, nine hours). The audio follows a large Italian opera-loving family through three decades, the voices and times are skillfully distinguished with performances by Bobby Cannavale, Merceds Ruehl, and Annabella Sciorra The story begins in 1953 when young Anthony Amedeo, frustrated by the presence of his twin female cousins, encourages one of the them to "fly" out the window. As a result, normal issues are colored by loneliness, grief, and self-blame. Hegi's beautiful imagery offsets horrendous occurrences and dark emotions. The readers are well chosen, especially Ruehl whose throaty speeches hint at how the older sensual women suppress the urges they feel.
Still another family is focus of Elizabeth Berg's The Art of Mending (Brilliance Audio, $29.95, unabridged, five CDs, approx. six hours). Laura Barton already has mixed feelings about her annual family reunion when her younger sister, the sullen Caroline, says she wants to discuss something with her siblings. The something begins to unlock secrets about maternal cruelty and a hidden sibling death which becomes more shocking when their father dies suddenly. Uncomfortable feelings from past and present collide in this fast-moving audio, Joyce Bean's soft, calming voice equalizes the characters' difficult emotions.
Those who are relish Biblically-led midrash stories will be immediately engrossed in the story of Sarah, the wife of Abraham, in Marek Halter, Sarah: Book One in the Canaan Trilogy (RandomHouse, $27.50 abridged, four CDs,five hours). The highborn Sarai, daughter of a nobleman of Ur, is eager to escape an arranged marriage. She flees her home, meets Abraham, and falls in love immediately and irrevocably. To avoid her arranged marriage, Sarai renders herself infertile and becomes famous as a priestess of the goddess of Ishtar where she serves until Abram rescues her and the rest is history. Romance, wisdom, and feelings fill the story of this Biblical matriarch. Kate Burton's rich reading has a regal quality, which is perfect for the heroine's voice.
Looking for a funny, frivolous beach listen? Try Olivia Goldsmith's Dumping Billy (Brilliance Audio, $24.95, abridged, four cassettes, approx. six hours). Kate, who left an unhappy Brooklyn childhood to become upwardly mobile in Manhattan, is still seeking a satisfying relationship. She finds comfort in seeing old Brooklyn friends and a gay couple she admires and envies for their closeness, but when she meets Billy Nolan, she falls fast-until she learns that his nickname is Dumping Billy and all the girls he drops become magically engaged. When a close friend is rejected by her fiancé, Kate helps with a plan and almost ruins her relationship with Billy. Bernadette Quigley excels at the range of voices and her pace is as quick as the story.