BLOSSOM — The Wild Ambassador of Tewksbury (Audiobook Review) by Anna Carner – Animal Rights, Friendship, Environmental & Naturalist Biographies

One woman’s encounter with a rescued deer turns into an unanticipated life-changing experience in Blossom — The Wild Ambassador of Tewksbury, the audiobook.

Author Anna Carner lived in a horse-friendly farming area of New Jersey in 1999, when she encountered a newborn fawn, barely breathing, near her home. The animal seemed to be communicating its need to her, and, with some experience of animal and human care, Carner set out to revive the fawn. She took the baby deer into her house and nursed her back to health. When she and her husband, Pino, saw the fawn curled up asleep with the family dog, the couple knew they had a new pet. Her name, Blossom, seemed suited to her sweetness and soft, gentle beauty.

Caring for animals was not uncommon nor unfamiliar to Anna, who, with her husband Pino, housed horses and raised alpacas on their property. But bringing in a fawn was different because some community members considered deer a nuisance and hunting a sport to be enjoyed. As Blossom grew, she would venture farther away from home for more extended periods. Anna and Pino circulated “please, don’t shoot Blossom” posters to bring awareness and compassion for not just the friendly deer but for all deer. While many championed Blossom’s safety, others did not.

Narrator Petrea Burchard breathes life into the audio adaptation of Anna Carner’s captivating and moving memoir. Setting the tone from the get-go, Burchard’s soft, silken voice immediately draws readers in as she deftly prepares the groundwork of bucolic Tewksbury scenes that are mere façades to the danger lurking in its midst. Carner’s memoir functions more like a mystery thriller; its well-balanced mix between the first-person narrative and engaging dialogue and emotional roller-coaster scenes provides Burchard plenty of room to use the full range of her vocal skills.

Carner’s encounter with Blossom pushes her to recall childhood memories she’d rather leave behind. She can’t since the parallels of victim and rescuer between her present and past are too powerful to dismiss. While much of the story centers on the present, Carner appropriately shifts to disturbing but at the same time thought-provoking moments from her dysfunctional youth. The alterations may not be unusual from a reader standpoint but challenging for a narrator since Carner’s memoir includes a full cast of mostly secondary characters—neighbors, hunters, veterinarians, supporters—many of whom play critical roles in the direction of the story.

However, from a listener standpoint, three characters besides Anna take the front-and-center stage to shape the narrative. When Burchard morphs into Caruso, the Carner’s opera-loving and chattering parrot, her comical voice provides a definite mood change that lightens the story’s continual underlying tension focused on Anna’s incessant worry that a hunter will take Blossom down. The story’s tenor shifts again with the introduction of children’s voices, particularly Viola, one of the young burn-unit patients whom Anna befriends while in the hospital. Burchard’s attention to narrative details enhances the innocence and compassion as the girls converse with one another, discussing life issues. Lastly, another voice change, when Anna receives phone calls from a creepy stalker. Burchard’s gravelly tone against the terror in Anna’s voice could easily make one think the story was a Stephen King novel; it’s that spine-chilling.

Audience listening level: Light profanity and sexual references (mainly dealing with animals) make this perfect for middle-graders on up.

Riveting from beginning to end, Blossom—The Wild Ambassador of Tewksbury audiobook is a powerful story of love, determination, and hope for the betterment of wildlife conservation that won First in Category in the CIBA 2019 Journey Awards for Memoirs and Biographies.  A highly recommended listen!