ARDOUR A Magical Tale of Love, Hope and Desire

With a light, frolicking touch, Lily Prior writes romantic fantasies of rural Italy. In this charming, earthy fable, a bureaucrat for the District Health Authority tells of her love for a forlorn olive grower, and of other romances in her village during a magical season of romance. Though the text borders on the precious, Laurence Bouvard’s (a woman, despite the name) narration does not. She is in perfect sync with the author, whose poignancy, irony, and fun she voluptuously delivers. There are other readers with more technique, but few with the gusto Bouvard brings to her performance here. Y.R. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 05]