THE BRIDE AND THE BEAST

In a romance older than time, Beauty meets her Beast, and each becomes enchanted by the other. The superstitious villagers of Ballybliss believe themselves cursed. Fifteen years earlier, one of them betrayed the laird of Castle Weyrcraig to the British, and now they are plagued by a dragon of insatiable appetites. To appease him, the townsfolk prepare to sacrifice a virgin. Narrator Virginia Leishman's performance gives a spirited lilt to Gwendolyn Wilder, the feisty, intelligent leading lady who is the only remaining maiden in town. Medeiros's romantic fantasy, combined with Leishman's virtuosity, allows us to experience an obsession for revenge, a madness borne of guilt, and an almost contemporary dry humor. Add a handsome hero and a slightly overweight heroine, and you have a great deal of fun. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 02]