THE BOOKBINDER

Annabelle Tudor so completely inhabits the English characters at the center of this engrossing tale of gender, class, and war that it's a bit of a shock to hear her deliver the author's note in her native Australian accent. Peggy and Maude are bookbinders at Oxford University Press. Peggy's intellectual curiosity is discernible in her voice; she chafes at the reminder that her job is to bind the books, not read them. Maude, who is neurodivergent, has a knack for parroting the core words of every conversation. Tudor rounds her vowels for upper-class female students, assumes a world-weary deadpan tone of amusement for the twins' war-nurse friend, and adopts a light accent for the emotionally and physically damaged Belgian WWI refugees. It's a fabulous performance highlighting a wonderful story. A.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2023]