FIRE ALONG THE SKY

Continuing her epic Bonner family saga, Sara Donati opens this episode in 1812, when Nathaniel's daughter Hannah, recovering from the tragic loss of her husband and child, returns home to Paradise. Infected with "war fever," all the young men of Paradise are ready to enlist, including Daniel, Hannah's 18-year-old stepbrother. Adventure, romance, frontier lore, and the effects of war on those at home are all part of this sprawling tale of early American life in the Northeastern wilderness. Narrator Kate Reading's deft use of voices is never overly dramatic, always controlled, and consistently believable. As the members of the extended Bonner clan face their individual challenges, Reading's performance invests them with distinct, immediately recognizable personalities. Her lively, intelligent reading gives Donati's well-researched historical fiction the power it deserves. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 05]