EARLIT SHORTS 2

Several of the stories in this second volume of audio shorts from Newfoundland are told from the point of view of children, yet the stories do not have the playfulness or poignancy they might have had. Catherine Hogan Safer's reading of her own story, "Mom," makes it sound disengaged compared to her three other contributions in the anthology, which are read more compellingly by others. And Charlie Tomlinson doesn't quite ring true in his portrayal of Kevin, the young boy at the center of "Echo." One wonderful exception is the brief opening story, "Acknowledgements," read by author Claire Wilkshire in a wry voice that captures its surprising irony. D.B. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2009]