A Handbook to Luck

Garcia artfully weaves together the lives of Cuban émigré Enrique Florit, son of a Las Vegas magician; Marta Claros, who escapes the slums of San Salvador; and Leila Rezvani, a young woman living in oppressive luxury in Tehran. Meeting the challenge of these characters from vastly differing backgrounds, narrator Staci Snell skillfully produces singular personalities. Each accent is subtly shaded, each phrase carefully paced to reflect Cuban, Salvadoran, or Iranian sensibilities. In alternating sections covering twenty years, as the characters' lives and dreams intersect, Snell voices each story with passion and compassion, yet maintains a respectful distance. Her performance draws listeners into the exotic, violent, sensual lives of the three main characters and creates an assortment of fascinating secondary ones. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine