THE WIDOWS OF EASTWICK

More than two decades have passed since we last heard from the "witches" of Eastwick. The husbands they conjured didn't last, and now they return to Rhode Island with the wisdom of hindsight and diminishing magical powers. Narrating in a soft, terse tone, Kate Reading catches listeners up with Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie, who are crabby about lost sexual vitality and pending death. Updike's masterful abilities continue to dazzle, and Reading matches the burnished text with a sure professionalism. Fans of the original who always wondered what happened to the witches will find the women just as trying and entertaining as they were when first introduced. R.O. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2009]