THE ALCHEMIST'S DAUGHTER

In eighteenth-century England at the time of the Enlightenment, Emilie, who studies both science and alchemy with her father, breaks out of the sheltered life he has constructed for her when she meets a flashy young merchant whose sweet talk she can't resist. Justine Eyre weaves a touch of innocence and vulnerability into her presentation of this naïve young woman. Her imperious tone suits the main character, her father's only child. Eyre uses tone to good effect in characterizing the intellectual issues of the period and in drawing out the class differences that contribute to the subtext of the plot. John Lee's participation is limited but fits naturally into the production. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 06]