The Easter Parade

THE EASTER PARADE is the story of a woman's life. Actually it's about two women's lives since we also watch her sister grow from happy childhood to tragic adulthood through the filter of the main character. Emily Grimes is as different from her sister, Sarah, as two people could be, yet each jealously covets the other's life. At least they do until they begin to learn each other's secrets, which include alcoholism, beatings, and insanity. The choice of Kristoffer Tabori as Emily, who narrates the novel, seems odd at first. But his gruff voice and sometimes-rushed dialogue actually sound perfect. His female characters sound realistic enough, and his skill at drawing in the listener is nothing short of amazing. The story has no major epiphanies, no sudden realizations. The lives of the main characters just go on, moments of sadness mingled with joy, until the end. M.S. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine