THE PLEASING HOUR

Lily King's engaging first novel of maternal and carnal love is performed tidily by Suzanne Toren. Toren's French and Spanish are as eloquent and appropriate in accent as her English. Parisians speak with the slur and growl of the capital, while the country folk purr and sing. The heroine's Spanish improves in time, as does her French--a meticulous portrayal. However, as a new writer, King's weaving of her characters into a landscape often becomes awkward when the characters seem to conflict with her desire to describe her traveling experiences. B.H.B. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 02]