SECRET RIVER

For contemporary Australians, a genealogical search might well lead back to the British prisoners, circa 1800, who were exiled to the no-man’s-land of New South Wales. Orange Prize winner Grenville found out little about her own family, but the heritage she creates in this historical novel is both personal and believable. Audie Award winner Simon Vance narrates with only the slightest British accent. The moment he steps into dialogue, however, the characters come alive and distinct. These men were not murderers or hardened criminals, and Vance’s ability to convey sensitivity behind the gruff exterior of their voices (or, in the case of a few, the lack of sensitivity) reaches refreshingly beyond the words on the printed page. R.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 07]