CHILDREN OF GOD

First contact with (suspiciously anthropomorphic) extraterrestrials gives Russell a large canvas on which to continue her earnest exploration, begun in THE SPARROW, of theological and sociological questions. But this is a true novel, not a camouflaged essay, that gives the oral interpreter much to chew on. Its demands are like those of a large romance: numerous characters (not all human), exotic locales and multiple story lines. A female reader for a story dominated by male characters seems counterintuitive, but one gets used to it. Field is not a performer of the first rank; one can find minor flaws in her performance. But she has a firm, mature voice and makes this long, challenging text listenable. J.N. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 00]