FRUIT AND NUTCASE

The sparkle and verve of Sophie Aldred's narration brings Fruit and Nutcase vividly to life. Mandy Small, a reluctant writer but fabulous storyteller, is narrating into a tape recorder the seemingly ordinary events of her daily existence. (Mandy's friend's mother has offered to transcribe the stories and help Mandy "become a famous writer!") While Mandy can be most bubbly and irreverent about her schoolmates, her candid accounts of her parents' bumbling attempts at parenting and Mandy's own desperate attempts to hold the family together are heart-wrenching. With Aldred's cheerful and determined presence, one can't help but champion Mandy and the bonds that unite a loving and well-intentioned family. As the drama unfolds and eccentric personalities such as the proper grandmother and the persnickety landlady abound, Aldred voices them to a T. A.R. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]