AUDIO

The Girl Factory: A Memoir

by Karen Dietrich
7 CDs. retail ed. unabridged. 8½ hrs. Tantor Audio. 2013. ISBN 9781452615783. $34.99. 7 CDs. library ed.; digital download. MEMOIR
COPY ISBN
When Dietrich was eight years old, an employee at the Anchor Glass factory where both her parents worked went on a shooting spree at the workplace, killing four others before shooting himself. Dietrich is a lonely, unpopular girl who early on has a preoccupation with her body and sexuality and an inclination toward ritual and routine. Cassandra Campbell's deliberate, rhythmic tone accentuates the feeling of melancholy that permeates Dietrich's account, which spans the 14 years from the shooting onward. When a shocking medical file comes to light late in the work, listeners may be disappointed to see the life-altering revelations it contains folded neatly into the narrative; however, it is likely a realistic portrayal of Dietrich's reaction after so many years of secrecy.
VERDICT Recommended for those who enjoy coming-of-age memoirs.
Reviewed by Erin E. Forson, Columbus, OH , Feb 07, 2014
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