SEA OF POPPIES

Audio is the perfect format for SEA OF POPPIES, a well-told novel with scores of far-flung characters—from a widowed Indian poppy grower to an American sailor, a bankrupt raja, a young French woman, and an autistic giant of a laborer. Exciting, touching, and beautifully paced, Phil Gigante's narration carries the audiobook, embellishing it with accents: Indian (Hindi, Urdu, Hindustani), British (upper crust, seafaring, working class), French, and even Chinese. It's a wildly fantastical adventure story at the confluence of the opium and slave trades, the caste and class systems, with overarching themes involving race, gender, and spiritual equality. While Gigante's accents, especially the Indian ones, can be imperfect, the personality of each character shines through in an outstanding performance. R.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2009]