In Calabria

Starred review from December 5, 2016
Acclaimed fantasist Beagle (Summerlong) sets this charming, lyrical tale of unicorns and love on a poor little hillside farm in the toe of boot-shaped Italy, where 47-year-old Claudio Bianchi scratches out a meager existence for himself, old dog Garibaldi, goat Cherubino, three cows, a pig, and three cats. Claudio writes poetry, too, and one day a golden-white unicorn appears to him as a gentle reminder of the freedom animals and humans have lost. The unicorn becomes the one miracle of Claudio’s life—and the ultimate tourist attraction. He protects her as best he can from hordes of reporters, television crews and helicopters, animal rights activists, yearning yokels, and even the Calabrian ’Ndràngheta mob. After Claudio helps the unicorn deliver her colt, his heart, frozen by an earlier tragedy, warms to Giovanna, the intrepid 20-ish sister of the postman. Neatly playing the strictures of Claudio’s simple rural life against the shimmering wildness of the unicorn, Beagle’s kindly fable shows how a man who seems to have nothing can really have everything—with just a touch of magic.

Narrator Bronson Pinchot brings this fable to life with ease. Set in the beautiful hills of Southern Italy, Beagle's story follows Claudio, who lives alone on a hillside, enjoying the peace he finds there. But one morning he's visited by a beautiful unicorn. It becomes his mission to protect the creature from prying eyes and preying hands. Pinchot's smooth, deep voice with just the hint of an accent helps to flesh out Claudio and the magical experience he has with the unicorn and her colt. Poetic and lyrical, Beagle's prose has a beauty that Pinchot expertly brings out. Those who love fantasy will be quickly drawn into this magical story. A.G.M. � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine