Body Surfing: A Novel
by Anita Shreve
Published by Hachette Audio
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Reviewed by Sara A. Baker
How many of us would be able to open our hearts again after several relationships had ended tragically? Anita Shreve's thirteenth book, Body Surfing, tells the intriguing story of Sidney, once divorced and once widowed, who spends the summer at the beach with the Edwards' family while tutoring their all-but-forgotten teenage daughter. There she unintentionally begins a complicated love triangle with the girl's competitive older brothers. It seems doomed romance is the theme of Sidney's life, from her parents divorce when she was young, to her repeated attempts at a lifelong commitment.
Read by Lolita Davidovich, the audio book provides the perfect soundtrack to spring cleaning as warm weather finally seeps in through the open window and summer sits just around the corner. Davidovich gives a compelling reading, the attractive lilt of her voice conjuring up a clear image of Sidney and a deeper understanding of each emotion this thoughtful character explores. The presence of two minor characters from outside of the U.S. reveal that Davidovich does not excel at accents, but she need not use them often in this book. Other than that, she is the perfect narrator for Sydney's story, her voice much like what we might expect to hear from the antagonist herself.
The music, on the other hand, is mostly distracting and cheesy. The unpleasant sound of a synthesizer breaks into the reading whenever Sidney remembers her rather unhappy childhood or a potential disaster is approaching. Occasionally, light guitar music punctuates the reading, a far better use of the medium.
If listeners can ignore the synthesizer, they will undoubtedly enjoy the audio version of Body Surfing, dreaming of their own beach trips and thankful that at least one person has worse luck in love than they do.
Armchair Interviews says: Overall, it's the strength of the story and the sound of Davidovich's voice that matter here.