THE ART OF MENDING

Berg captures the listener's interest as three siblings try to untangle the riddle of conflicting childhood memories. Each character is carefully made real, particularly heroine Laura's devoted and loving husband and his appealing parents, her likable and intelligent children, true-blue friend Maggie, and the flamboyant Gregory, manager of the local fabric store. Intricately and subtly designed, the story charms with its riff on putting light and dark pieces together to form the pattern of her quilt, a theme that echoes Laura's efforts to find meaning as she and her siblings try to make their conflicting experiences into a strong fabric of memory. L.C. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 04]