AUTUMN BRIDGE

Jennifer Van Dyck is perfectly suited for this ethereal sequel to Matsuoka's CLOUD OF SPARROWS. Her nimble reading works well whether she's speaking for one of the many samurai, geishas, war lords, or missionaries. Van Dyck especially shines portraying American missionary Emily Gibson, who translates the ancestral history of Lord Genji, a rising prophetic nobleman. Van Dyck captures Emily's disbelief upon discovering how her life is intertwined with that of Genji, and the urgency of the revelation. While the story and reading are gripping, and the tone and pace perfect, the novel is cumbersome as an audio production, with the setting shifting indiscriminately from the nineteenth century to 1311 and back again, requiring extra effort on the part of the listener. H.L.S. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 05]