SHOOTING THE MOON

Dowell's coming-of-age story of 12-year-old Jamie Dexter, whose brother is fighting in Vietnam, develops around her understanding of the war and its impact. Many well-developed characters support Jamie, including a card-playing soldier who fills the void her brother, T.J., has left. He helps her decode T.J.'s photographic letters, which juxtapose the beauty in nature with the brutality of war. Dowell's characters are brought to life in Jessica Almasy's reading. Her delivery helps the listener feel the characters' emotions, especially Jamie's, as she takes her journey of discovery, although her delivery makes Jamie sound wiser than her 12 years. Almasy delivers the character’s Southern accent consistently, and her pacing and cadence add credence to both the Southern setting and the time period. J.K.R. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2008]