CLEOPATRA'S SISTER

As Milton asked in Paradise Lost, what can make "the hell (we) suffer seem a heaven?" Love, of course. Paleontologist Howard Beamish and journalist Lucy Fowler, both well past the age of innocence, meet by chance and fall in love as they and fellow travelers are held hostage by a dictator. Davinia Porter clearly defines each character: Beamish, dry and cautious; Lucy, skeptical, alert and intuitive. Porter also pays meticulous attention to minor characters, including Lucy's adorable "Mum" who appears only at the beginning of the book. It's a love story. It's a chilling tale of hostage crisis. It's historical rumination. And it's an entertaining "read"--all wrapped up in an artful audio production. Give us more! L.R.S. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: APR 95]