A LONG WAY FROM HOME

It's a shame that Briscoe, who is nearly deaf, probably can't hear her writing come to life in this fine reading. Described as the story of three generations of African-American slave women, the abridged tape actually covers only the life of Susan, who is based on the author's great-great-grandmother. Plot and conversation driven, the book's a natural for audio. McDonald, a singer, does well with all the characters--black, white, young, old, male, female. Cozy domestic scenes are replaced by episodes of humiliation as Susan is taken from her mother at age 14 and sold to a Richmond "massa" who just may have been her father. We hear her develop from a frightened teenager to a competent and strong woman who eventually finds love and, thanks to the Civil War, freedom. J.B.G. © AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 00]