Letters to a Young Writer

Colum McCann lends a personable voice to his warm words of advice for budding writers. Although McCann is fast becoming one of the most respected novelists of our time, he reads and writes with humility, charm, and earnest good intention. He brings the affability of a reader who does not focus on acting as a profession, and the end result is something akin to a fireside conversation with a favorite uncle. While there are the occasional issues with translating the essays into audio--a section on grammar has a few jokes that feel slightly labored when read aloud--McCann's reading is intimate, casual, and wise. Writer or not, young or not, the listener will find gems in McCann's writings that will leave them optimistic and entertained. Z.S. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine