SI cover features area model
Winter weather photos
Madison vs. Waynesville
Book Nook provides readers with insights into the world of books. Vick Mickunas takes you into the center of the publishing world with the latest book buzz, book reviews, and exclusive chats with authors..Home > Blogs > Book Nook > Archives > 2009 > April > 26
Sunday, April 26, 2009
The latest from Elizabeth Berg…
“Home Safe” by Elizabeth Berg, (Random House, 260 pages, $25).
“Home Safe” by Elizabeth Berg, (Random House Audio, unabridged, 7 compact discs, 8 hours, $34.95)
Signs of springtime are abundant. Red winged blackbirds are staking claims on prime nesting spots. Wildflowers dot the meadows. Elizabeth Berg has a new book.
Like clockwork at this time of year Berg publishes a new novel. I have been a fan of her work for some time. Her latest effort is “Home Safe.”
Berg is that rare writer who records her own audio versions of books. Most authors lack the stamina or the vocal fortitude to record their own books. They delegate the job to professionals who are often veteran actors of stage and screen.
This year I decided to give myself an extra treat. As I read “Home Safe” I also listened to Berg’s vocal rendition of this story in the unabridged audio production of the novel. The added dimension of her cadence and inflections enhanced my reading enjoyment.
“Home Safe” is the story of Helen Ames. Recently widowed, Helen is coping with the grief she feels at the loss of her beloved husband, Dan. She finds herself becoming overly dependent on her twenty-seven-year-old daughter, Tessa.
Berg frequently melds her own life experience into her writing. Berg lives in Chicago. As does Helen. Berg grew up in Saint Paul. So did Helen. Berg loves hot dogs from Super Dog. So does Helen.
As Berg narrates the audio version of her book the listener is drawn right in by the fact that each word has the ring of truth. It’s a vicarious sensation to hear Berg’s voice relating her fictional adaptation of lives that feel so real.
Helen learns that her late husband made some mysterious bank withdrawals that wiped out their life savings before he died. She cannot determine what he did with the money.
This shocking realization is upsetting enough. On top of that, Helen is a writer who is suffering a case of writer’s block. Her publisher is expecting a book. Helen is having difficulty producing anything.
It staggers the imagination to consider that Berg has ever suffered from writer’s block. Her stream of books has been unrelenting. She has had numerous bestsellers including “Open House” which was an Oprah’s Book Club selection.
The author Helen bristles at hostile book reviews: ” but it’s hard to stay true to yourself when you can be so demoralized by a few lines in print from a critic more interested in school-yard bullying than in thoughtful analysis.”
Helen gets fan mail. One particular letter is profoundly upsetting to her. She wonders if she is wasting her time writing books. She also wonders what secrets her husband was concealing. Berg produces a charming plot twist as we discover what that money actually bought. We become acquainted with her late husband through extensive flashbacks.
“Home Safe” is a mystery and a romance. Berg plumbs the depths of her characters’ emotions. The audiobook provides a delightful bonus as Berg displays her theatrical talents in an array of different voices and accents.
Vick Mickunas
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: audiobook extra
