BODILY HARM

Margaret Atwood's introspective investigations into the human psyche have earned her numerous international literary honors. BODILY HARM, first published in 1981, remains intense and fascinating. It follows Rennie, an ingenuous Canadian journalist, as she deals with a partial mastectomy and the breakup of her longtime relation-ship. Rennie decides the time is right to leave behind everything familiar. She accepts an assignment to do a travel piece in the Caribbean, and while trying to sort out her personal mess, becomes entangled in island politics, shady deals, and shadier characters. Except for a few odd pronunciations, Bonnie Hurren's performance complements Atwood's insights. Hurren's matter-of-fact reading suits, as Rennie attempts to control her life in the strange, corrupt world of St. Antoine. The final scenes are electrifying and utterly believable. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB / MAR 03]