BELLE PRATER'S BOY

Woodrow Prater and his cousin, Gypsy, help each other discover the truth about their families while strengthening their own bond of friendship. With a delicate, smooth Southern accent, Elliott reads the parts as a gifted storyteller might perform them. She doesn't individualize voices for each character, but instead becomes a conduit for the story, shaping the words and feelings into thoughts that flow into the listener. Elliott's gently haunting voice appropriately conveys the sense of loss the characters feel and their acceptance of past events. P.A.J. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 98]