Goldenseal

This latest addition from Hummel (Lesson in Red) explores the lives of two long-estranged best friends who have grown older. Lacey, the privileged daughter of eastern European immigrants, and Edith, the poor but talented daughter of a handyman, make an unlikely pair when they end up as cabinmates at a summer camp in Maine. Their lives were in flux, yet they connected and remained so until one betrayed the other. As they look back on the past decades, the women discuss their painful past over dinner and drinks. Lacey’s darling Mutti and Papi had stopped smiling after the war. Their families had lost either their lives or their homes in the chaos. Edith had left her abusive family and moved to the West Coast with Lacey’s family. Together, they reveled in Hollywood’s glamorous heyday until it came crashing down for them. Award-winning narrator Hillary Huber uses her smooth voice to capture the personalities of the two septuagenarians. The cast of characters is short, but Huber imbues each with character, ensuring that listeners can easily identify the speaker.