THE MEMORY BOX

After both her father and stepmother die, Catherine finally brings herself to open the box that her birth mother left for her before dying when Catherine was six months old. As she traces each item's meaning and pieces together her mother's short life story, Catherine herself changes. This is an introspective novel, with almost no action and little dialogue. In the hands of a different reader it could have been very boring. However, the quality of Clare Higgins's voice is well suited to the story. She portrays the Scottish voices flawlessly, doing particularly well with the men's voices, and modulates Catherine's voice so that it never drones or bores the listener. This is an example of a superb performance enhancing a rather ordinary novel. S.S.R. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/MAR 01]