SACAGAWEA

Erdrich's biography looks beyond the usual folk lessons of the Shoshone interpreter and guide who was part of the Corps of Discovery. As a girl, she was captured by the Hidatsa/ Mandans, and later she shared her knowledge of the natural world and her people for the good of Lewis and Clark's expedition. Jennifer Ikeda has a youthful and unpretentious voice and precise diction. Her pacing highlights crucial moments--such as negotiations for ponies with Sacagawea's brother, a chief, and the displeasure with Charbonneau's boatmanship--without sacrificing the general unfolding of the expedition. A slight wistfulness is evident at some moments, such as when Clark expresses his wish to educate Sacagawea's child, Pompey. This production leaves the listener wanting to know more. A.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 07]