SEA GLASS

It's 1929 in a beachside community in New Hampshire. Honora Beecher, newly wed, collects bits of ocean-tumbled glass as her marriage falters and she and her husband become involved in a nearby milltown strike. The tale is told in segments bearing the names of five people whose interaction pushes the plot to its tragic climax and ultimate resolution. Kyra Sedgwick reads with warmth and empathy; the developing relationships between Honora, a millworker activist, and a fatherless boy are well handled, as is her take on Vivian, the likable playgirl socialite. Shards of music pop up but don't add much. The recording includes an introduction by the author, explaining why she has set three novels in the same house. J.B.G. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB / MAR 03]