INTO THE WILDERNESS

Jayne Atkinson displays amazing vocal and dramatic range in this historical novel, a sequel of sorts to The Last of the Mochicans. Elizabeth Middleton, used to the restrictions of upper-class English society of the 1700's, finds much to astound when she arrives in New York state to live with her father. Not the least of these is Nathaniel Bonner, white, but raised as an Indian by his father, Hawkeye, of the Cooper novel. Atkinson captures the strength, restraint and elegance of Elizabeth, moving with apparent ease to the very different characters of Nathaniel and his family and the frontier townspeople. One only wishes for more detail and story depth, lost to abridgment. None-theless, this involving story makes the distant time and place seem as real as the next moment. M.A.M. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 99]