THESE GRANITE ISLANDS

Memories of a long ago summer spill out of 99-year-old Isobel as she lies dying in a hospital. Her one remaining child--now in his 70s--is her only audience, and, as it turns out, he has the solution to the story's central mystery: What happened to Isobel's married friend and confidante, Cathryn, and her forest ranger lover, Jack, who disppeared in 1936? As Isobel speaks, past morphs into present, characters merge, and reality blends with imagination. Melissa Hughes's clear voice guides listeners through this woman's tale of friendship and loneliness in a small Minnesota town. Through her reading and Stonich's lyrical descriptions, listeners see the lake, forest, fog, heat, and islands that play such an integral part in Isobel's tale. Hughes is good at accents and at portraying the querulousness of age. She doesn't try men's voices; they are secondary players anyway. Stonich's debut novel is sensitively read. J.M.G. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]