BABYVILLE

Read by Geraldine SomervilleGeraldine Somerville triumphs in her reading of the struggles of a trio of young women facing motherhood. Set primarily in London, the novel is peppered with British idioms that only a native can read convincingly. Somerville depicts Julia, Maeve, and Sam with distinct accents, although occasionally she seems to forget who pronounces "Julia" as "Juler." As the women ride the emotional roller coasters of possible infertility, unplanned pregnancy, and life with a newborn, Somerville characterizes their feelings with delightful vocal expressions of woe, joy, doubt, and wonder. Both humorous and tender, the print version is likely to be a good beach read; Somerville's skillful narration makes the audio edition sparkle. J.J.B.
(c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 04]