National Network for Equitable Library Service

Winner of the British Whitbread First Novel Award, Saving Agnes is a delight to the ear of any listener who enjoys the English language at its best. Rachel Cusk's prose, rich with poetic imagery and insight, is spell-binding. Agnes Day is not quite certain of her own identity. Defining herself by her past failures and fearful of her future, she trudges through her days despising her editing job and searching for that special someone to help her forget the lover who jilted her. Although her naive attempts to bolster her self-esteem culminate in a series of one-night-stands and an affair with a mysterious heroin addict, Agnes' indomitable sense of humor somehow sustains her. Narrator Jenny Sterlin's British accent is the perfect accompaniment to a creation that is meant to be appreciated aloud in its native dialect. Her reading captures every nuance of mood and language to give listeners an unforgettable listening experience.