Before and Again

Mary Stuart Masterson nails this audiobook like she’s been waiting her whole career to narrate a Barbara Delinsky novel. Her voice carries Mackenzie’s grief and quiet determination with a grounded authenticity—no overacting, just a steady, soothing presence that makes the heavy moments feel intimate rather than invasive. The pacing is deliberate, which works for a story where trauma demands space, but I’ll admit I found myself wishing for a little more tension earlier on. The Maine setting comes alive through Masterson’s warm, slightly raspy delivery, grounding the emotional weight in a place that feels like safety, even when danger lurks. My one real critique? The flashbacks sometimes feel disjointed, as if Mackenzie’s past is being served up in awkward chunks rather than woven naturally into the present. Still, by the final chapters, I was fully invested in her fragile new beginnings. This is an audiobook that lingers, like the scent of woodsmoke in winter.