Losing Mum and Pup

Exquisitely written and eloquently read, Christopher Buckley's memoir reflects upon the bittersweet final year of his parents' lives. As is to be expected from a member of one of America's first families of prose, not only does Buckley demonstrate his dexterous knack for turning a phrase, he also recounts many of his famous father, William F. Buckley's, artful witticisms. Thanks to Buckley's wry yet vulnerable narration, this is an example of an audiobook bearing even more resonance than the written word. With superb pacing and an engaging style of storytelling, Buckley resists sentimentalism but occasionally hovers at the brink of revealing the depth of his loss. He finds humor in the most unlikely places--a funeral home, for example--and presents laugh-out-loud imitations of famous voices, such as Henry Kissinger. Delightful. N.M.C. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine