ALWAYS AND FOREVER

Winner of the Golden Pen Award for Best Romantic Fiction of 2002, this story of westward migration after the Civil War takes a decidedly modern approach with its African-American characters and feminist perspective. Tony Penny does a fine job narrating the adventure of a group of mail order brides. While not giving distinct voices to the dozen major characters, he holds our interest with the captivating charm and vibrancy of his reading. The only hurdle to this listening journey is the rankling 21st-century dialogue amid the setting of the 1870's West. P.R. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 04]