THE FRUIT OF STONE

Cattle country of the American West is the backdrop for the story of McEban, his best friend, Bennett, and Bennett's wife, Gretchen, whom McEban has loved forever. The story traverses from the present to the past and returns to the present without a demarcation to alert the listener to the shifting time frame, and therein lies some of the problem. This is a lyrical story, with dramatic descriptions of landscape, rugged living, rodeos, and strong characters. Mark Spragg is a fine novelist. But his vocal interpretation of his novel is unsatisfactory. He reads the book but does not present it as a production. He knows the story well, but his reading lacks variety and comes across with a dull sameness. J.P. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 02/ JAN 03]