THE VIEW FROM MOUNT JOY

What begins as a high school boy's endearing reflections on Midwestern life in the 1970s meanders into a survey of his life. Robertson Dean's deep, resonant voice is ideally suited to this first-person account by Joe, a typical teenager interested in hockey, music, and girls. Dean does a fine job with character voices of all types. The weakness in this novel is what it becomes after Joe reaches adulthood--a collection of minor moments examined minutely while larger issues are left unexplored. The fun-loving Joe of youth becomes an unrecognizably sentimental middle-aged man who agonizes over every decision. In spite of the uneven narrative, Dean holds the listener's attention with his good humor and mild delivery. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 08]