The Woman Who Wouldn't

Violinist Jeremy Webb is sent to a German clinic after his nervous breakdown on stage. There he meets Anton Chekhov and soon falls in love with another patient, who is dying of cancer. Gene Wilder reads his first-person narrative with two voices. The first is an understated, tender voice, which may reflect the author's real-life experiences dealing with his late wife, Gilda Radner's, cancer. The other is a mocking voice of self-doubt that runs through Webb's thoughts. The result is a novel that is bittersweet, with touches of humor, naughtiness, and a playful passion that keeps listeners involved in the characters' fates. It's also a novel that seems written for the ear. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine