Unwell is a podcast be Hartlife NFP. It is the story of Lily, a chronic job hunter, returning to Ohio small town Mount Absalom where she spent her childhood summers to take care of her mother after she broke her ankle. Mount Asalom is home to many things: A celery soda processing plant, an annual meat raffle, and the Fenwood House, a historic boarding house on the edge of town run by Dot Harper: Town eccentric and Lily’s estranged mother. 

 The show starts with their strained reunion and quickly introduces the listener to the other occupants of the Fenwood House: Abby, a geologist whose research grant has lead them to Mount Absalom to research small town infrastructure and Wes, the perky teenage concierge that runs ghost tours in addition to running the minutiae of the house and seems to always be working. The show then follows the group through their exploration of the creepy town, constantly butting heads with the local government and their weirdly secretive policies.

Starring the incredible voice talents of Shariba Rivers, Marsha Harman, Michael Turrentine, and Kathleen Hoil, Unwell is a fantastic examination of family dynamics, small town restlessness, and the alluring mystique of the impenetrability of the close knit community that works to form the midwestern hospitality. The podcast is also rife with queer representation if you (like me) are looking for that in most of the media you consume.

Each character has fully fleshed out relationships with the other characters, even if it isn’t explicitly shown on air. By about midway through the season (no heavy spoilers I promise) Lily goes to the library only to find out that Abby has already developed a mutual animosity with the librarian. The listener is not privy to all of the details of the feud, but through the offhand comments the characters make, it is evident that the creators of the show know the fleshed out details. All of the characters, even the smallest roles, show signs of depth and dimension, beckoning the listener to fall further and further into Mount Absalom.

Listeners hailing from the suburbs, city, or even a small town themselves will find the rustic charm of historic Mount Absalom.

Unwell has only released one season so far but a second is in the works. You can find them wherever you get your podcasts.

Not one for listening? Transcripts for all of their episodes are available on their website and in the episode description.

They’re online at unwellpodcast.com and @unwellpodcast on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook and @Hartlifenfp on Instagram and Patreon if you want to learn more.

If you start listening and want to talk podcasts you can find me here or @emilyrlannon on twitter.

Nods to Pods is a new series I’m starting up on this website where I shout out and review podcasts that mean a lot to me in an attempt to spread the good word of audio dramas. If you have a podcast that you want me to check out drop a comment below or hit me up on twitter!

[Cover photo courtesy of Hartlife NFP]