cover image Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA

Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA

Ellen Meister, , read by Lisa Kudrow. . Brilliance Audio, $36.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-1-4233-1210-9

Kudrow shows her deft comedic skills in her audiobook debut about the machinations and scandals of rival PTA factions in a small town whose school may be used for a George Clooney movie. Kudrow reads with a light comic tone but never goes over the top, and the warmth in her voice makes the characters sympathetic and likable. Kudrow gives each character a distinctive voice: raspy Ruth, whose confident, wisecracking exterior hides the pain of caring for a husband disabled by a stroke; shy, timid Lisa and her embarrassingly loud, brassy, alcoholic mother; conflicted Maddie, trying to decide whether to work on her troubled marriage or have an affair; and their nemesis, snooty, hilariously bitchy PTA president Suzanne. The comic tale is rooted in reality that keeps the listener sympathetic to the protagonists even during the plot's most absurd twists (e.g., during a midnight covert operation, the women unexpectedly come upon the PTA president engaged in a ménage à trois). By turns hilarious and poignant, this is chick lit that works perfectly on audio. Simultaneous release with the Morrow hardcover (Reviews, May 8). (Aug.)