WHAT ONCE WE LOVED

Book Three, and the final installment, in Kirkpatrick's Kinship and Courage series continues the saga of the "turn-around women." Narrator Aimee Lilly characterizes Ruth Marin as a strong, independent woman willing to fight for her dream of a ranch in southern Oregon. Friends Mazy, Tipton, and Suzanne, left behind in California, discover that commitment isn't easy and that marriage, faith, and family require more than they first thought. Lily captures each woman's hopes and emotions through accents, vocal nuances, and timing. Her reading style is clear and deft, her narration engrossing. The only downside to this warm drama is a too graphic description of Ruth's horse dying at the beginning. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE/JULY 05]