THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

A superb cast enacts the adventures of three children who, with their mother, have to leave their amply comfortable life in the city for a fatherless and frugal existence in a quiet country village. The children share the narrating, with the youngest child, Phyllis, providing lighter moments with her slight lisp and forthright (tactless) comments as the children learn to fend for and entertain themselves. In the grand old radio tradition, mood music and every sound effect possible are used effectively to enhance the story, and each villager also has a distinctive voice. At the bottom of the family's garden runs the railroad, with frequent passenger and freight trains on regular schedules. Who knew that the exciting sounds of a steam railroad could be so nuanced? R.H.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2008]