Adrift by Will Dean @willrdean @emmawilkes_ @lukerfrancis @simon.audio @simonaudio.bsky.social @librofm @libro.fm #Adrift

the setup…
Peggy and Drew Jenkins live in a narrow canal boat with their fourteen-year old son Samson. They moved their from her mother’s bungalow after her death. He’s an aspiring writer with a manual labor side job and will only allow Peggy to volunteer at the library. Just a normal family living unconventionally right? Not even close, especially when the prologue reveals this man killed his parents. He is a sociopath hiding in plain sight, slowly gaslighting his family into oblivion as he slowly isolates them from neighbors and other probing eyes as they move further down that canal.

the heart of the story…
I went into this knowing it would be bleak and it is. However, it’s much more as it’s also a cautionary tale for anyone in these type toxic relationships who stay for the children. It never ends well. Peggy is a bright and talented woman who over time is convinced by Drew in draconian measures that she’s less than him in order for his ego to survive.

the narration…
Emma Wilkes is the voice for Peggy and Luke R. Francis gives voice to Samson. They made me believe their characters and Wilkes expertly managed her character’s gradual transition to an insecure woman. They both delivered fine performances.

the bottom line…
Despite the somberness and despair, there is reason for hope as Peggy fights her way back to save herself and her son. It’s an important story as this might be fictional but it’s based on reality as many women today find themselves in similar circumstances. If just one person sees herself in Peggy, it’s a triumph.

Book Info

• Release Date: February 17, 2026
• Narrators: Emma Wilkes & Luke R. Francis
• Audio Length: 9 hours, 21 minutes
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

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(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)