CHARADES

Is there an authoritative version of one's life, free of faulty memories and misinterpretations? Australian wild child Charade Ryan pursues self-knowledge by seducing a renowned MIT physicist because an aunt once mistook him for Charade's elusive, charismatic father. The personal histories Charade tells her lover rival the intricacies and scope of his cosmic theories. Reader Kate Hosking confidently navigates this metaphysical maze of events and ideas. A listener might easily be lost with a less intrepid guide. Hosking's gift of elucidation blends clarity with enthusiasm. She is particularly enthralling during sporadic moments of dialogue when she suddenly transforms intellectual rhetoric into urgent emotion. It's heady stuff. D.J. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 00]