SPIRIT TRAIL

Dickerson's laid-back, easy-to-listen-to reading style perfectly suits Quarles's saga of the Western trek of wagon trains. Samson Roach, still mourning the death of his wife and son on a journey to Oregon, is drawn to Becky Sinclair and the rest of Joseph Mellner's Pennsylvania group as he leads them to the Willamette Valley. Dickerson uses accents, pacing, and dramatic pauses to flesh out the characters and intensify the drama of renegades, murderous cowboys, and Roach's Indian spirit guide. Dickerson effectively translates the emotions of joy, grief, and agony experienced by these pioneers. Intermittent music and sound effects, like blazing gunfire, also enhance the presentation. S.C.A. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 05]