SOUL CATCHER

At the age of 17, Augustus Cain left his father's modest plantation, looking for adventure and purpose in the Mexican-American War. Years later, he's lost his idealism and the full use of his legs and gained an addiction to laudanum and gambling. He supports his addictions by using his uncanny tracking skills to hunt down runaway slaves and returning them to their masters. William Dufris narrates this sweeping story, giving even the most clichéd characters unique voices. He particularly embodies Cain's self-loathing. His last trip north leads him on a journey of self-discovery and redemption in the waning years of slavery, a practice that has cast a shadow on so much of our history. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/ MAR 08]