ROWING IN EDEN

Sam Pollak, carpenter, loses his wife and his will to live. Help comes in the form of Jane, a gutsy single woman, and her city-bred foster children, who are initially not accepted in an upstate New York village. When an arsonist destroys Jane's house, Sam saves Peter's life and rediscovers his own. In addition to the locals, the novel features an eclectic group of characters who not only help Sam reconnect, but also give Fields a chance to display her talent for accents. Her natural voice is low, so with a little extra effort she does well at portraying Sam, the other village men and Peter, a moody teenager given to emotional outbursts. This offbeat romance with a social message is well delivered in text and production. Only the ending seems a bit abrupt. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 00]