Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver (Audio)
Unabridged MP3 audio book, 5 hours, 55 minutes. Narrated by Jim Dale. HarperCollins Audio, October, 2011. 9780062111203. (Purchased.)
Eleven-year-old Liesl has spent a little over a year locked in an attic room and receiving little to eat. Three nights after the death of her beloved father, she is visited by two ghosts, Po and its pet Bundle. Liesl is not frightened at all. She's curious. First, she'd like to know if Po is a boy or a girl for Po is a bit indistinct. She learns that such distinctions don't matter "beyond," on the other side. Liesl then begs Po to try and find her father. Po does and reluctantly reveals that her father wishes to be buried near Liesl's mother and that he regrets eating the soup.
Liesl's step-mother, Augusta, has had Liesl's father cremated. She poisoned him and the only thing standing in the way of becoming very rich is Liesl. His ashes reside in a wooden box at the business of a man who deals in a variety of transactions. Will, an orphan apprenticed to and abused by an alchemist with ambition, has taken to observing Liesl from the street as she draws high above him. In fact, because he stopped to look for her, he ended up needing to change the route of his errands one night, which then led to a catastrophic mix-up.
Atmospheric right from the eerie first lines, the two story lines converge into a fast-paced, suspenseful race to a certain willow tree. Along the way, there are moments of mirth, irony and poignancy. As always, Jim Dale imbues each character with a distinct voice.
This book received several starred reviews and lots of pre-pub buzz. I had the arc on TOM forever and it wasn't until I read a review of the audio book that I finally got to the story. I'm sorry it took me so darn long. Get this treasure into the hands of your fantasy lovers asap. I'm going to reread this one with my eyes because it's illustrated and to enjoy many moments of lovely language again.