WHAT I CALL LIFE

Full Cast Audio does an extraordinary job of bringing Jill Wolfson's debut novel to life. The performers get into the characters of five troubled but hopeful preteen girls in a group foster home. Grace Kelly is outstanding as the narrator, spunky Cal Lavender. Caroline Fitzgerald is the eccentric "Knitting Lady" who, with skeins of wool, knitting needles, and verbal "yarns," crafts tales that help the girls untangle their snarled lives.The voices of Whitney, Amber, Fern, and Monica are also realistic and full of life. An author's note gives directions for knitting and an invitation to visit her Web site for more patterns, in case listeners would like to learn how knitting can help them unravel life's knotty problems. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 07]