The Willoughbys

I've been enjoying supplementing my regular reading with audio books. A good book, read by a talented actor, can really improve one's daily commute.  A recent selection was The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry and read by Paul Williams.  I haven't heard about Paul Williams in what seems like forever and that is just a darn shame, I tell you. He read this book brilliantly!  I mean it, really and truly brilliantly.

The Willoughby children are part of an old-fashioned family. The children believe that they should be orphans.  Their parents would be pretty okay with being childless.  When a baby turns up on their doorstep, they leave her on the doorstep of a rich man, who, it turns out could use a baby to help him reclaim the life he was letting slip away.

Lowry creates a story that gives readers a story that is smart, full of snark and humor and that is modern and feels like an old-fashioned story.