October 4, 2013 / Leslie

Review – Audiobook: The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow by Rita Leganski

The Silence of Bonaventure Arrow
by Rita Leganski
Narrated by Maggi-Meg Reed

Genre: Fantasy / Magical Realism
Publisher: Harper Audio
Publish Date: May 14, 2013
Format: Audio, 11 hours | 23 minutes
Audio Listening Level: Easy – Intermediate
Rating: 4 of 5

Publisher’s Synopsis:

Bonaventure Arrow didn’t make a peep when he was born, and the doctor nearly took him for dead. But he was listening, placing sound inside quiet and gaining his bearings. By the time he turns five, he can hear flowers grow, a thousand shades of blue, and the miniature tempests that rage inside raindrops. He also hears the voice of his dead father, William Arrow, mysteriously murdered by a man known only as the Wanderer.

Exploring family relics, he opens doors to the past and finds the key to a web of secrets that both hold his family together, and threaten to tear them apart.

My Thoughts:

The story is set in New Orleans in the 1950s, a mystical tale that revolves around the young Bonaventure Arrow, his mother and his grandmother. Bonaventure, a truly likable character, doesn’t speak but he can hear and he can communicate. He hears and knows more than most people realize.

I enjoyed this book a lot but I’m having trouble putting the “why” into words. I’m not always a fan of magical realism and am fussy about what types of fantasy I’ll read, but something about this book captured my attention from the start. The writing was poetic and the story flowed in an almost hypnotic fashion as the answers to my questions unfolded. There was a mysterious murder, voodoo and mysticism woven into an engaging stoy.

I listened to the audiobook which was beautifully read by Maggi-Meg Reed. The pacing was perfect, her voice enchanting, setting the haunting feel of New Orleans. The audio was an excellent choice and one of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much.

Those who appreciate a rich historical setting, magic, mystery and a little voodoo will want to give this book a try.

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Linked to the R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril, VIII event.
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Source: Review copy provided by Harper Audio.
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