In the audiobook of Mikki Brammer’s Good Joy, Bad Joy (11 hours), Joy Bridport is a woman who has always chosen stability and respectability, steering clear of the chaotic way of being practiced by her outgoing lifelong best friend, Hazel. At 89, Joy is content with her careful life—until Hazel delivers devastating news that forces Joy to reconsider her “good” behavior.
Kimberly M. Wetherell gives an endearing performance, capturing Joy’s feistiness and optimism as she opens up to new possibilities, like summoning her bad side to steal a library book. Wetherell’s pacing suits Joy’s contemplative reflections on parenting, her regrets and her friendship with Hazel. She also enlivens the interchange between the two women as college students. Maggi-Meg Reed narrates scenes from their teenage years, when Hazel first befriends Joy, with innocence and audacity. Heartfelt and humorous, Good Joy, Bad Joy is a delightful portrait of a woman awakening to a new life and sense of purpose in her later years.