CASSIDY

Jill Shellabarger's lightly accented enunciation gives an authentic sound to the 1880s frontier town of Token Creek, Montana. Her youthful portrayal of Cassidy Norton, the town's young seamstress and shop owner, is understated. With empathy she captures Cassidy’s yearning for a loving husband and tiny baby, just like her friend Meg has. As good as Shellabarger is, she can't make up for the boring plot and one-dimensional characters in this first installment of Wick's new Big Sky Dream series. Listeners expect a romantic plot with engaging characters. Instead, the romance falls flat, and listeners sit through six boring sermons instead of valuable scripture and spiritual guidance woven into the story. Wick fans will be disappointed in this one. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2008]