FRAGMENTS OF THE ARC

Set in Civil War Charleston, this is the story of a black family’s passage from slavery to freedom and self-assertion. Its strengths are its strong family values and positive roles for its male characters. The narration progresses in fits and starts--with many fractured sentences, phrases and multisyllabic words. The listener must work hard to hang on to the thread. The best read passages are the conversations among black characters, which are spoken with life, intensity and passion. But even here the story can be hard to follow because the characters often speak in the same voice. M.F.P. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 94]