STAR LAKE SALOON AND HOUSEKEEPING COTTAGES

When Hannah Swann inherits the Star Lake resort in northern Wisconsin, she is reluctantly plunged into a battle between environmentalists and copper mining interests. In a subplot Hannah’s public television station’s filming of the conflict provides an interesting window into the world of public TV/radio. Romance, breathtaking scenery, danger, and occasional clichés infiltrate the story as Jim Fleming reads moodily, highlighting the ups and downs of the small group’s struggle against big business. His reading reflects Hannah’s changing lifestyle from university professor to saloon owner and housekeeper of Northwoods fishing cottages. Without excessive tone changes, Fleming moves smoothly from unctuous attorney to anxious innkeeper. D.P.D. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 06/ JAN 07]