CHAINS

Anderson’s powerful historical novel takes place in the Colonies just as the War for Independence is beginning. Isabel and her 5-year-old sister, Ruth, had been promised their freedom in their mistress's will, but a greedy nephew sells them, and they’re moved from Rhode Island to a Tory house in New York. Although Madisun Leigh's voice sounds somewhat older than one expects for 13-year-old Isabel, her narration is riveting. In a production that wisely uses only the human voice, Isabel becomes a compelling character, struggling to achieve for herself and her sister the same freedom the "rebels" are fighting for. Deservedly short-listed for the National Book Award, this is a tour de force. The publisher missed an opportunity to include the author’s interview that set the historical context in print. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2008]