THE FIFTH OF MARCH A Story of the Boston Massacre

In this historical fiction suited to preteens, the young nanny of John and Abigail Adams witnesses events in Boston leading to American independence. The story weaves the early New Englanders' passion for liberty into a young woman's struggle to find her place in the world and discover herself. Although Melissa Hughes's voice has lovely diction and clear tones, it's not a suitable choice. She maintains a well-bred American enunciation while stumbling through the author's attempts to capture some of the speech characteristics of Boston before the American Revolution. Her versions of British and Irish accents are distracting, and her young children sound silly. Fortunately, the story stands on its own. N.M.C. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 04]