BANDIT'S MOON

Life couldn't get much worse, thinks Annyrose, than being locked up in a lightless shed by O.O. Mary. Until she is forced to go with a band of outlaws headed by the notorious bandit Joaquin Murieta. Narrator Julia Gibson superbly brings the varied characters to life, juxtaposing the righteousness of Annyrose, with her prim, clipped, arrogant voice and manner, against the lazy Mexican drawl of easy-going, tender-hearted Murieta. We hear Annyrose softening and changing her prejudices as she learns that the bandit Murieta is more Robin Hood than murderous outlaw, and a true friend. Gibson's vocal characterizations define the characters, while she balances the suspense and menace of the story with the opening of a young girl's eyes to the narrow-mindedness and unfairness of the "righteous" townsfolk. W.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 02]