AWAY

This is not an easy book to interpret in audio. Recounting the exodus of the Irish to Canada in the l840's, the author has created a challenging cast of characters: from simple Irish peasants and rugged Canadian settlers to a strange young girl who is "away"--like Irish fairies--for much of the book. Unfortunately, Beth Fowler may not have quite enough dramatic experience to handle this complexity. The characters never come alive on the tapes. In addition, her emotional reading, probably well suited to romantic fiction, seems somewhat inappropriate here. J.C. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JUN/JUL 99]