AN AMERICAN BEAUTY

Listeners will be swept along by Gail Shalan's emotive narration of this novel, set in late-nineteenth-century Virginia, Texas, and New York City. Beautiful Belle Yarrington Huntington catches the eye of railroad magnate Collis Huntington at a Richmond gaming house. She agrees to move to New York City to become his "shadow wife." After bearing Collis's secret son, Belle becomes concerned about their financial security and borrows money from Collis to invest in real estate. Shalan's comfortable pacing settles listeners into the well-drawn settings, and her male and female character portrayals are equally skilled. Her fine performance immerses listeners in Belle's efforts to overcome poverty and patriarchy to attain financial autonomy and a contented personal life. M.J. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2023]