The Railwayman's Wife

Set in 1948, in Australia, this story weaves the lives of Annika, Mac, Iris, Roy, and Frank into a tale of love, loss, and grief. Narrator Fiona Hardingham tells Annika's story as she navigates postwar widowhood, which plunges her into life as a single parent and newly hired librarian. Hardingham is superb at bringing the characters in Annika's story to life with unique voices, allowing the listener to know and care about the grief and wounds that Iris, Roy, and Frank carry in the aftermath of war. In alternating chapters, narrator Steve West portrays the Scottish Mac, who is full of life, humor, and love for Annika, his wife, and Isabel, his daughter. The language is beautifully poetic and descriptive, and the narrators' deliveries complement the author's strengths. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine