WHITE DOVES AT MORNING

The heroes of James Lee Burke's fascinating novel of the Civil War and Reconstruction are two of his own ancestors--Robert Perry and Willie Burke, both Confederate soldiers. Willie seems to be Burke's own voice in the novel, that of a reluctant fighter torn between his opposition to slavery and his loyalty to his Louisiana home. The two men's lives intertwine with those of Abigail Dowling, an abolitionist; Flower Jamison, a slave fathered by plantation owner Ira Jamison; and Rufus Atkins, a violent overseer who finds outlets for his hatred in both eras. Will Patton captures the dialects perfectly, with a voice laced with tension even as it lingers over the smallest details. J.A.S. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 03]