While I'm Falling

Veronica Von Holten, a college student in Lawrence, Kansas, comes of age as her parents' marriage falls apart and a series of other unexpected events assails her. Julia Gibson portrays Veronica as a sharp-voiced teenager who is trying to become a responsible adult amid the chaos that has become her life. Gibson draws the listener into this drama of family strife and capably dramatizes the crux of the problem: The Von Holtens care more about themselves than each other. As Veronica navigates college and her family, she talks about her feelings, her experiences, and her need to figure out who she is. Using subtle inflections to differentiate the characters, Gibson narrates the story in a distant tone that captures Veronica's attempts to cope with a life that has been turned upside down. M.B.K. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine