THE FROST AND FIRE

Gold fever swept through the world in the middle of the nineteenth century, and the throngs who caught the fever followed the rumors and tales of great discoveries of wealth. The miners were followed by those who could sell their services, and thus the area known as Otago became a town. Its ancillary characters are the people Beverly Dunn tells about in her forceful, memorable reading. Dunn is Australian. The narration points to California and Scotland. When one arrives at the actual location of Otago, it is in New Zealand. Given this, and Dunn's pronounced Scottish burr, it is difficult at first to orient oneself to the story. Soon, however, we appreciate her diverse accents, and the burr becomes easier to understand. Dunn's desire to tell this story makes us want to hear it. J.P. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/ JAN 02]