DAUGHTER OF THE ELM

Written in 1899, DAUGHTER OF THE ELM tells the true story of Loraine Esmond, a young woman raised on the wrong side of the tracks in Clarksburn, West Virginia. Told with clear and gentle affection by educator and storyteller Ross Ballard II, this production features background music by Appalachian fiddler Leonard Carpenter. This long-forgotten novel is profound and moving as it follows Loraine's moral struggle as she bears the knowledge that her brothers have been involved in robbery and murder. The story and music work well together. But it is Ross Ballard's soothing West Virginia intonations that make DAUGHTER OF THE ELM a remarkable and memorable audiobook. S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 03]