CHANGING HABITS

Trini Alvarado's pleasant, unpretentious voice and carefully measured reading style perfectly match the characters of Kathleen, Joanna, and Angelina, three young women who become novitiates in the early '60s. Their reasons for entering the convent vary: Kathleen enters at her parents' urging, Joanna runs from betrayal and a broken engagement, and Angelina feels drawn to serve God. When each of the women experiences a crisis of faith, Alvarado's narration is delivered with appropriate anguish coupled with heartfelt emotion. Her portrayal of culture shock when the women leave the convent depicts astonishment and incredulity. Alvarado's soft, adaptable voice is appropriate for convent life and carries the story to a satisfying conclusion. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 06]