THE WANDERING HILL

1830. A steamer abandoned in the ice. An overland trek through bear country. A wild winter stuck at a trading post in the middle of nowhere. These provide the backdrop for Book Two in McMurtry's tetralogy chronicling the bizarre adventures of the very peculiar Berrybender family. Mountain men Jim Bridger and Kit Carson; frontier artist George Catlin; and Pomp Chabonneau, Sacagawea's son, bring credibility to the tribulations of Tasmin Berrybender and her "Sin Killer" husband, Jim Snow. Henry Strozier's performance is compelling. Strozier's believable characterizations and McMurtry's mastery of Western dialect make the Berrybender horse opera seem more consequential than it actually is. What's missing here is what's missing in most middle books. Plenty happens, but nothing much is resolved. A must for fans of SIN KILLER. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 03]