Standard Deviation

March 20, 2017
This first novel from Heiny (Single, Carefree, Mellow) meanders cheerfully along, making up for its relative lack of action with its humor and insight into characters. Introverted, middle-aged Graham has been married for 12 years to his talkative, younger second wife Audra, and he’s beginning to wonder whether they’re really suited for each other, or if he should have stuck with his “tall and slim and regal” attorney ex-wife Elspeth, with whom he’s just begun speaking again. Graham and Audra have a 10-year-old son, Matthew, who is socially awkward and obsessed with origami, and about whom they spend a good deal of their mental energy worrying. They host Thanksgiving for an assortment of quirky characters, including the misfit adults from Matthew’s origami club; take their son and a friend they nickname “Derek Rottweiler” on an ill-fated fishing expedition; and attend an unexpected funeral. Heiny has a flair for peculiar but believable dialogue, and a generous attitude towards even the most inept characters, particularly Graham, whose befuddlement about his life choices and his longing to smooth things out for his son persist throughout the changes in his life. At the heart of the novel is a finely tuned awareness of the fragility of the most seemingly permanent connections and the ambivalence shot through even the hardiest forms of love.

Narrator Cassandra Campbell never deviates from a lively presentation that depicts the complexities of love and marriage. As the novel's omniscient narrator, her steady, velvety voice captures the story's numerous situational ironies and perfectly embodies its vivid characters. After 10 years of marriage to his loquacious second wife, Audra, Graham finds himself observing her with a curious mix of acceptance and dismay, which Campbell captures in a tone that highlights his moments of exasperation. With a high pitch and fast pace, Campbell bring out Audra's hilarious "no-filter" chattiness and outlandish antics. Audra's personality is contrasted with that of Elspeth, Graham's steady, quiet, soft-spoken ex-wife. Overall, Campbell's delightful performance filled with heart and humor. M.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine