THE BELOVED VAGABOND

Few readers can resist a good rags-to-riches story, so this book should hold universal appeal. The story's narrator is a young man living on the streets of London until he is taken under the wing of the Paragot. This mysterious fellow offers instruction and employment as he pulls the young man from a grim life and pushes him into a jolly bohemian lifestyle. Peter Joyce offers an appropriate reading of this Dickensian story. He assumes the various characters with the enthusiasm of an old-fashioned radio show. THE BELOVED VAGABOND offers both a traditional plot and a traditional reading, making for an oddly comforting audiobook. L.B.F. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 03]