Out of the Clouds

This audiobook proves that everyone loves an underdog--or, in this case, an "underhorse." The story is more than a one-trick pony; it also highlights the history of horse racing in the 1930s and 1940s. Narrator Kevin Collins's delivery is an excellent complement to the narrative, particularly his natural-sounding surprise at the success of trainer Hirsch Jacobs. A pigeon racer turned horse trainer, with no racing background, he consistently spotted winning race horses among the sport's perceived dregs. Jacobs's greatest success was Stymie, a thoroughbred he claimed for $1,500 and transformed into the most winning horse ever. Collins's low-key style is particularly effective at presenting the many personalities of the era who helped make the sport of horse racing so popular. D.J.S. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine