Imperfect Birds - Softcover

Anne Lamott is the New York Times bestselling author of Help, Thanks, Wow; Small Victories; Stitches; Some Assembly Required; Grace (Eventually); Plan B; Traveling Mercies; Bird by Bird; Operating Instructions, and the forthcoming Hallelujah Anyway. She is also the author of several novels, including Imperfect Birds and Rosie. A past recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and an inductee to the California Hall of Fame, she lives in Northern California.

The age-old conflict between parent and child takes a distinctly contemporary turn in Lamott's latest novel. Elizabeth, an emotionally fragile mother with a history of alcoholism, must help her daughter, Rosie, navigate similar perils. Susan Denaker's composed performance makes this family drama difficult to ignore. Rather than using overwrought tones to depict the friction between mother and daughter, Denaker devises distinct voices for each character and delivers them evenly, allowing for quieter, more likable characters--like the ironic James, Elizabeth's husband--to temper the strife. Denaker's calm adds depth to these relationships, and the manipulation and power struggles that go with them. More than anything, this audio performance asks, "What would you do?" L.B.F. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine