Angela's Ashes

You could paper the walls of an Irish castle with the accolades bestowed upon Angela's Ashes. First, the print version won the Pulitzer Prize. Then Frank McCourt himself narrated the abridged version (celebrated in AudioFile, April/May 1997). But the best was yet to come--the entire book read and sung and recited by author McCourt. Here we have the stereotypical Irish characters--the drunken poet father; the all-suffering mother; the miserable, hungry kids being turned away by a haughty Church--all made three-dimensional and brought fully to life by both McCourt's language and his loving, intimate narration. "It happened," this voice attests, "I was there." Grim it is--but the tale and its teller transcend the poverty--and so does the listener, who glories in the story and voice from beginning to end. Happily, Mc-Court is at work on a sequel. We eagerly await his next turn at the mike. E.K.D. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Frank McCourt's memoirs of his impoverished childhood shows his great humanity. When he delivers his story directly to the listener, we are transported. We weep and laugh. The production shows the wonderful dynamism of an audiobook performance. McCourt sings the songs his mother sang. He chants the patriotic ballads his father woke him up with. His clarity of voice and depth of feeling are delivered directly. Don't miss this, it's an exceptional audiobook. R.F.W. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine