THE HOUSE

Erik Singer reads Daniele Steel's newest with wit, skill, and an uncommonly pleasant voice that keeps one listening even when the writing is clunky. Generally agreed not to be Steel's best, this book follows attorney Sarah Anderson as she searches for happiness in her successful but emotionally arid life. An unexpected inheritance frees her to pursue her dream of restoring a crumbing San Francisco mansion. In the process, she finds love, marriage, and motherhood. Singer's clear reading can't help but highlight the repetitiousness of Steel's writing. But he glosses over the reiterations as gracefully as possible and provides interesting interpretations of the main characters that reveal his evident narrative skills. A.C.S. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 06/ JAN 07]