HOME TOWN

What a fine companion White is for Kidder's affectionate portrayal of a small American town. White's reading is full of warmth and empathy, comfortable and comforting in exactly the way of Kidder's prose. His depiction of Northampton, Massachusetts, focusing in particular on several diverse figures (a policeman, a judge, the mayor, a college student, a businessman with obsessive-compulsive disorder) is complex and appreciative, but never overtly sentimental. Still, long before the book comes to an end, you find yourself understanding the myriad ways people are bound to place. White's narration, wise and accessible, amplifies the feeling. Her voice sounds exactly like home. M.O. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/MAR 00]