DRAGON'S GATE

A young Chinese boy leaves his mother and joins his father in the land of promise, America. The harsh reality of building the transcontinental railroad sets a powerful scene for this novel. Although an award-winner, Dragon's Gate is not well suited for audio. Its long, harsh, cruel story line ends with a weak offering of hope, which will not satisfy the listener. Despite this, Guidall does his job excellently, as always. He so skillfully changes his voice to distinguish the characters that the listener might think several readers are at work. Since most of the characters are men and the vocal changes must be subtle, this is a good demonstration of Guidall's talent. D.D.G. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 95]