cover image THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY

Marian Keyes, , read by Terry Donnelly. . Harper Audio, $39.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-06-072295-1

This rambling, chatty audiobook draws listeners in slowly (sometimes painstakingly so) as it follows the lives of three dynamic women—jilted Gemma Hogan; literary agent Jojo Harvey; and bestselling English author Lily Wright, who "stole" Gemma's boyfriend Anton. Gemma, hurt and betrayed by her best friend's actions, must put her emotions on hold to care for her mam after her dad takes off with a younger woman. Reader Donnelly enthusiastically captures Mam's dour Irish voice and Gemma's younger, more innocent one. Her energetic reading style also helps sustain readers during the book's plodding moments, such as when Keyes describes the happenings of Gemma's work day, her drive home, her trips to the chemist and so on. The details don't let up when the story abruptly shifts its focus to Jojo, who works at a prestigious London firm. Donnelly doesn't quite capture Jojo's American accent, but the English accent she adopts for Lily is spot-on. On the whole, Donnelly does a fine job narrating this marathon-length audiobook, and though it takes a while for the pace to pick up, listeners will be wrapped up in the characters' lives by the story's end. Simultaneous release with the Morrow hardcover (Forecasts, Mar. 15). (May)