The Divide

Narrator Scott Brick sharply defines the characters in Nicholas Evans's thoughtful look at the gulf that divides people from one another. After 23 years of marriage Ben Cooper is bored and restless. His wife, Sarah, rages with righteous indignation when Ben decides to leave. When the Coopers learn of their daughter's death, questions and recriminations open old wounds and gouge tragic new ones. Brick's performance has just the right self-assuredness for characters who stubbornly rationalize behaviors that cause others pain. His directness nicely fits this sprawling story, while his voice, sometimes brusque, sometimes tender, makes listeners privy to each person's secrets. Evans spins a good story, and Brick makes it perfect listening for a cold winter's night. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine


This muckraking audiobook is full of sound and fury concerning the wealthy people who control the economy and the justice system, and the poorer citizens who make up the majority of those in jail. These groups form the divide in American society, according to journalist Taibbi, and they're getting farther apart by the minute. Narrator Ray Porter has the kind of deep, authoritative voice that can be a cliché in narrators who are discussing current social issues. But Porter breaks out of the mold and injects his personality into the work. He sounds like he's speaking to listeners individually and reads with pauses and emphasis that personalize the information. There are times when he runs out of breath or ends sentences awkwardly, but his efforts do make the book more relevant and interesting. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine