AWAY

Double richness results when Bloom's novel is read in the lush voice of Barbara Rosenblat. Rosenblat's performance enhances the story of immigrant Lillian Leyb, who flees her Russian village after Christians massacre her Jewish family. Lillian is settling in New York when she learns that her daughter, Sophie, may be alive in Russia. Lillian travels to Siberia, along the way befriending people like Gumdrop Brown, a resilient prostitute from Seattle's Skid Row, and John Bishop, who is on the run from an accidental killing and living in the Yukon. Rosenblat's characterizations are vivid as she shifts seamlessly from Gumdrop's accent to Bishop's plainer speech. Historical references are plentiful, and the epic nature of the two-year journey will make listeners grateful for Rosenblat's experienced reading. S.W. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 07/ JAN 08]