I’m happy to say that there is now an audiobook version of The Family Way. It was recorded last winter, featuring the wonderfully talented Ivan Lo. I could not have been more pleased with the outcome.
It was a unique experience, helping to select the voice of the person who will narrate your book. Before you ask – no, reading it myself was not an option nor something I wanted to do. I’m no actor, and the skills needed to inhabit not only into my main character, but also all the other characters in this dialogue-heavy book, is not something I possess. I think I would have found the whole thing rather stressful.
Ivan, though, made it all seem effortless. Upon hearing his audition tape, I knew we had found our Paul. There was a weight and a warmth to the narration, and he had the necessary cadence and baritone for the role. I also liked his characterization of Michael in the short clip I heard (bright, energetic, youthful). He sold me with the lines “Having my way with you,” and “You’ve got to call your mother.”
In advance of the recording, I got to speak with Ivan about the text. It was such a rewarding experience, hearing his thoughts on my characters, speaking about them as if they were real people, and discussing any nuances that might be necessary in the performance. Ivan is from Toronto, so we also discussed pronunciation of French words and the ways anglophones might say things in Quebec.
Upon listening to the final product, I am super proud of the job he’s done. The audiobook comes in at a whopping 13 hours and 9 minutes (I had to listen to it all over four days in order to sign off on it – not something I would not recommend).
If you prefer audiobooks to paperbacks, you can listen to The Family Way at the links below.