GARDEN IN PARIS

Alexandra O'Karma brings fluid grace and style to her charming characterization of 50-year-old widow Mary Elisabeth McKibbin Davis. Mary feels disoriented after her husband dies and she is discarded by her daughter Liz, who has taken over the family business, dismissing Mary's offers of help. Mary entertains thoughts of suicide until a sign is given to her, setting in motion a chain of events that reveal a decades-old mystery and chart Mary's course to a lost love. This well-narrated story of a woman's search for identity late in life is an easy listen. However, O'Karma's even-toned narration blends the characters together instead of differentiating them. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/ JUL 06]