A Version of the Truth

Narrator Tanya Eby is immensely engaging and likable in the first-person role of Cassie Shaw, a 30-year-old dyslexic nature lover who, desperate for a job, lies about having a college degree to score an administrative assistant position at a university, where she is immediately intrigued by her professor boss. Eby is perfect at conveying Cassie's quirky, well-meaning, self-deprecating and often insecure personality. Her delivery of amusing one-liners is pitch-perfect, and listeners will laugh out loud while rooting for Cassie. Eby also does a marvelous job with the other characters' voices, particularly Cassie's snobby co-worker Allison, whose dialogue fairly drips with smarmy condescension. This well-paced, entertaining story about finding one's place in the world while marching to a different drummer translates well to audio and is well worth a listen. Simultaneous release with the Delacorte hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 22). (Jan.)