A LONG STAY IN A DISTANT LAND

Count your blessings--you could be a Lum, the death-stalked family of this intriguing novel. Lums don't die in conventional ways either. Their ends come at the hands of ice cream trucks, cheeseburgers, and Nazis. Narrator James Yaegashi lovingly renders this story in an understated tone that fits the novel. His methodical pace and easy style nudge the action along and keep the book interesting. His deep voice is soothing and cool, and he makes dialogue sound as though it comes from real people. He runs into trouble only while trying to evoke convincing female characters. Unfortunately, he misses the mark, with one of the elderly females sounding like Marge Simpson. This is a minor issue though. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 05]