CROSSING THE LINES

The third in Melvyn Bragg's series, set in the 1950s in Britain, focuses on Joe Richardson, a teenager who begins the book as a schoolboy and ends it a student at Oxford. In between, Joe experiences everything from love to political consciousness to the realiz-ation that his parents, who are dealing with middle age, have their own bag-gage. Mark McGann reads with flair and subtlety. McGann has a wonderful voice, and he transitions well from the angst Joe feels when experiencing his first love to the maturity and judgment Joe exhibits in dealing with more complex situations. Bragg is not particularly well known in the United States; perhaps this title will bring him some well-deserved recognition. D.J.S. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 05]