Savage Girl

Starred review from January 13, 2014
The prologue of Zimmerman’s superior historical thriller will suck most readers in instantly. On the night of May 19, 1876, 22-year-old Hugo Delegate awaits the arrival of the police at a house overlooking Manhattan’s Gramercy Park, the site of a savage murder committed by either him or a “girl murderess.” Hugo soon reveals that the victim, a “longtime acquaintance and sometime friend,” is but the latest in a series, and after his arrest, he presents the complex backstory to his defense attorney. Flashback to June 1875. Hugo, a Harvard student recently released from a sanatorium, accompanies his family on a cross-country trip. In Virginia City, Nev., he becomes fascinated with a sideshow freak, the so-called Savage Girl, allegedly raised by wolves. Hugo’s parents decide to civilize the girl, and introduce her into society on their return to New York. Zimmerman (The Orphanmaster) keeps the truth hidden until the end, combining suspense with an unsettling look into a tormented mind. Agent: Betsy Lerner, Dunow, Carlson, and Lerner.

Narrator Edoardo Ballerini waltzes listeners through New York City society as Zimmerman's macabre tale of civility and violence unfolds. Wealthy Hugo Delegate stands accused of serial murder. He does not protest innocence, however, fearing that the true culprit is his adopted sister, Bronwyn, a "savage" girl raised in the Nevada wilderness. Distinctive voicings of the braggarts and businessmen, socialites and sinners associated with this story make Hugo's extended account vividly clear for listeners. Gradually, Ballerini alters Hugo's characterization, deliciously hinting that Hugo may be the ultimate unreliable narrator. During the trial, Ballerini narrates Hugo's long-winded defense at a brisk clip. A master of phrasing, Ballerini tightens the descriptive passages while lingering over Hugo's dreamy musings. Subtle yet powerful, his elegant style works well. C.A. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine