STANDING IN THE RAINBOW

In the 1940s and '50s, small-town radio stations used local homemakers as hostesses for chatty programs. In the mythical town of Elmwood Springs, Missouri, that woman is Neighbor Dorothy. With her mother-in-law at the organ and a blind neighbor girl offering vocals, Dorothy brought the entire region into her parlor. This is the focus of Fannie Flagg's newest novel, STANDING IN THE RAINBOW. The novel grew out of an incident in her previous book, WELCOME TO THE WORLD, BABY GIRL. Rainbow starts in 1946 and takes listeners to the present. Flagg does the reading and gives a warm and personal feeling to each of the characters. She is especially effective with the two dominant female characters, Dorothy and Minnie Oatman, the matriarch of a gospel group. Flagg's Alabama accent is strong enough to give the reading a kind of Missouri Ozark feel but not so strong that it makes listening difficult. The backdrop of contemporary history is fun, as Flagg shows how the characters are shaped by events in the country. But the abridgment makes some of the years fly by too quickly, giving the final cassette (or discs) a choppy feel. The opening portions, though, are charming and engaging, both in content and reading. R.C.G. 2003 Audie Award Winner © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 02]