THE ANNUNCIATION OF FRANCESCA DUNN

This lovely and absorbing book is given a splendid four-actor production here. Tyler Bunch reads the voice of Chester, a homeless visionary who first "sees" that the adolescent Francesca Dunn is the Virgin, carrying the infant God. Kristan Kilian, Beth MacDonald and Mia Pitasi take the viewpoints of Anne, Francesca's scientist mother, of Sid, Francesca's school friend, and of Francesca herself, whose situation is deeply complicated by the fact that her followers seem actually to be healed by her touch, that suddenly she can see secrets in peoples' hearts, and that she can feel life quicken inside her. All four actors are wonderful; why doesn't the publisher tell who takes which part? One wants to thank them individually. B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 04]