CONVERSATIONS WITH RABBI SMALL

Rabbi Small takes a break from sleuthing and heads to the mountains, but instead of working on his book, he finds himself spending time with a young couple engaged to be married. Joan, the bride-to be, is not a Jew and wishes to convert. Her intended, Aaron, is a Jew but not observant. Rabbi Small sets about explaining what it means to be a Jew, ostensibly to Joan, but Aaron is drawn more and more into the conversations on the porch of the rabbi's cabin. George Guidall portrays the rabbi, who is deeply religious, learned and realistic, in an accent with hints of Brooklyn in it. Aaron is intelligent, snappish and wise. Joan is innocent and somewhat clueless but sincere. It's a tribute to Guidall's powers that the listener becomes fond of all three characters and deeply interested in the rabbi's evening discourses. L.R.S. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 00]