Jeff Woodman lends a boyish exuberance and a sense of irony to Elizabeth Kelly's entry in "The Most Dysfunctional Family" sweepstakes. Collie Flanagan tells the story of his eccentric relatives in wry, apologetic tones, and Woodman turns Collie's idiosyncratic account into a tragicomedy filled with oddballs and loonies. Anais, Collie's neurotic, vindictive mother, names her sons after breeds of dogs. His father, Charlie, is a hard-drinking, womanizing Irishman, and brother Bingo is all charm and gloss. With a pigeon-breeding uncle and a super-rich grandfather to round out the cast, Woodman handles all with relaxed, casual ease, avoiding the temptation to overdo Kelly's enthusiastic turns of phrase. When a double dose of tragedy levels Collie, Woodman's insouciance turns appropriately remorseful. Woodman makes this worth a listen.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2009
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ireland’s sensitive performance turns what could have been soap-opera melodrama into a poignant family drama.
Marin Ireland is quite wonderful delivering this audiobook that explores a selfish action taken in the ’70s and its consequences years later. Facing a joyless marriage with a husband who shies away from intimacy, Nina leaves him and her family for a more promising life with her next-door neighbor, Finn. The decision shocks their respective families and has an especially devastating effect on Nina’s teenage daughter, Clara. Ireland handles the many voices with professional skill, but her strongest work lies in conveying the inner thoughts and feelings of the people involved. She brings truth to Nina’s guilt, Finn’s sense of urgency, and the children’s pain and disbelief.
Ireland’s sensitive performance turns what could have been soap-opera melodrama into a poignant family drama.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063377707
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2026
Reflective and deeply touching, this openhearted story may require having tissues close at hand.
Andrew Grace delivers a restrained yet deeply expressive performance in this tender tale, which chronicles events that shape the Hasegawa family as seen through the eyes of the middle son, Kaoru. At the novel’s center is Sakura, the loyal family dog whose steady presence embodies quiet resilience in the face of the family’s joys and tragedies. Grace’s subtle shifts in tone trace the passage of years, revealing the mother’s quiet suffering; the family’s admiration for Hajime, Kaoru’s older brother; and their adoration of his precocious sister, Miki. At each turning point, Sakura becomes both witness and teacher, steadfastly offering comfort as she absorbs the family’s memories.
Reflective and deeply touching, this openhearted story may require having tissues close at hand.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
Duration: 7 hrs, 55 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063389977
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: March 2, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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