BLACK DUCK

In 1929, a rum-running boat called the Black Duck lost most of its crew to an altercation with the Coast Guard. Janet Taylor Lisle uses this incident as the inspiration for this story of life in a small Rhode Island town in the midst of Prohibition and the friendship of two 14-year old boys, Ruben and Jeddy. Years later, 14-year-old David interviews Ruben in hopes of writing a story for the newspaper. David Ackroyd does a superb job of narration. His wonderful gravelly voice is perfect for the spirited elderly Ruben reeling off tales. Ackroyd affects an eager and appealing quality for all the teenagers in the story, including the female characters. BLACK DUCK is marvelous fun for all ages. A.B. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 07/ JAN 08]