Montreal Stories

To call the families in these 15 stories dysfunctional would be an understatement. Gallant's characters are misplaced even in location--not French, British, or American, they always seem uncomfortable in their surroundings. The tension can be heard in Margot Dionne's smooth narration, conveying frustration without the contrivance of stilted accents. Gallant (who has lived in Paris since 1951) deftly conveys innocence through the child's or grown child's perspective. The first story, "The Fenton Child," immediately grips listeners, and the rest of the book doesn't release its choke hold. Various stories focus on the same characters, but these aren't cyclical and at times contradict previous relationships (again, perhaps part of the total sense of displacement). Listening to Dionne's voice, you almost forget this isn't her own life she's describing. R.R. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine