Audiobooks star Kate Fleming dies at 41

Sad news by way of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Kate Fleming, one of the leading voice actress lights in the audio book world, died Thursday as a torrent of rainwater flooded the basement studio of her Madison Valley home and trapped her inside. She was 41. As her partner, Charlene Strong, screamed for help, trying in vain to break through a wall and rescue her longtime companion, Fleming’s voice never wavered. On a phone, she kept telling Strong to keep calm, keep digging. “She never was upset. She never was scared. She never screamed,” said Strong. “She kept telling me to keep a level head. But I couldn’t get her out.”

Though the world of audio books and their professional narrators may be comparatively obscure, within it, Fleming — who recorded under the name Anna Fields — was a star. Some authors demanded that no one but she narrate their works, and she was the voice — or voices — for more than 200 audio novels, bringing Louise Erdrich‘s American Indians to life, embodying Ruth Ozeki‘s Idaho potato farmers. “You are my voice!” said Ozeki, throwing her arms around the actress when they finally met in person.

A service is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday.

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