So Much Blue

Audiobook veteran Lawlor rises to the challenges presented by the latest novel from Everett. The story gradually weaves together three sprawling threads in the life of painter Kevin Pace: his current life as a husband and father raising two teenagers in a picturesque New England community, an extramarital affair with a young woman in Paris a decade ago, and a violent journey through war-torn El Salvador 30 years previously. Lawlor remains poised as the threads intertwine. He is particularly gifted in his empathetic rendering of the angst-ridden 16-year-old daughter, April, as she seeks parental help after getting pregnant, but the most memorable parts of the audiobook are the flashbacks to El Salvador involving a mysterious American mercenary known as “the Bummer.” The audiobook requires patience and attention to detail given Everett’s contemplative style of writing and slow pacing, but Lawlor demonstrates his talent throughout the journey. A Graywolf hardcover. (June)