THE MINERAL PALACE

When Bena, her husband, and baby move to Pueblo, Colorado, their trip begins a pattern of defeated dreams--from an encounter with the soon-to-be shot Bonnie and Clyde to the dusty, dying town in which they settle. Their struggles are met with futility. Suffocating in the despondency of the Depression, symbolized by the crumbling grandeur of the Palace, they live amid corruption and betrayal. Ericksen effectively captures Julavits's prose, her soft, silky voice caressing its stormy words. This performance gives us the full measure of a ruthless and compelling book. S.B.S. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/MAR 01]