RED POPPIES

Fascinating details of pre-occupation Tibetan history and culture--the role of the lamas, the influence of the opium trade, and the last decades of a feudal system--form the backbone of this family saga rife with sex, drugs, and murder. Reader Ping Wu gives a fine performance as the narrator, the youngest "idiot" son of a powerful chieftain. He varies the voices of the large supporting cast appropriately. While the story is a bit slow to start, once it takes hold, it's compelling, juicy, and satisfyingly unpredictable. E.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]