Bear

Phillips, the bestselling author of Disappearing Earth, offers an atmospheric tale about two sisters, Sam and Elena, as they care for their mother, whose health is failing, on an island off the coast of Washington State. Sam notices a bear swimming in the San Juan Channel and becomes terrified as it begins to linger around their home. She senses an impending doom closing in to trap her in a place from which she longs to escape. Elena, however, is unafraid; instead, she’s drawn to the majestic bear. The duality of their responses exposes secrets in matters of life and death. Sophie Amoss, an award-winning narrator, reads this literary novel as a thriller. Her voice is breathy, encompassing dread of the unknown and the obsession of humans with nature. Her tone is shaken, fearful, and seems unfounded before the story sweeps in a twist that matches the anxious narration. Although this novel spins in meandering circles, it builds momentum to orbit around the listener in a way unique to the audiobook experience, as Amoss’s performance amplifies subtleties that could be easily brushed over by a reader of the print work.