The Midwest: a place where farm fields and family trees stretch for miles and rich, loamy emotions are buried beneath a topsoil of quiet grit. If you’ve listened to J. Ryan Stradal’s debut, Kitchens of the Great Midwest, then you know his sensitivity to the intersection of place and story is as discerning as his characters’ palates. And when it came to recording the audiobook of Stradal’s new novel, The Lager Queen of Minnesota, actor and audiobook narrator Judith Ivey was able to use her own childhood experiences in the Midwest to portray the nuanced voices of a family of beer brewers. Hear Judith talk about the challenges and joys of recording a book that hits close to home, and to J. Ryan’s response to Judith’s narration!
Listen to Judith and J. Ryan talk about recording The Lager Queen of Minnesota:
Learn more and listen to a clip of Judith Ivey reading The Lager Queen of Minnesota:
An audiobook about family, Midwestern values, hard work, fate, and the secrets of making a world-class beer, from the bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest.
“Perfect for a summer day with a good beer and a piece of pie.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred)
Have you heard J. Ryan’s debut, Kitchens of the Great Midwest? Listen to a clip here:
Kitchens of the Great Midwest is an audiobook about a young woman with a once-in-a-generation palate who becomes the eminent chef behind the country’s most coveted dinner reservation. By turns quirky, hilarious, and vividly sensory, this is an unexpected mother-daughter story about the bittersweet nature of life—its missed opportunities and joyful surprises.
“[Narrators] Ryan and Stuhlbarg shine as they use subtle pacing and tone to portray the unique personalities of each character, adding just the slightest hints of a Midwestern accent to give authenticity and differentiation. Stradal’s skillful writing delivered by accomplished narrators offers listeners a debut performance to savor.”—AudioFile
The post How to Brew an Audiobook: Narrator Judith Ivey and Author J. Ryan Stradal on <em>The Lager Queen of Minnesota</em> appeared first on Penguin Random House Audio.