WAIT TILL HELEN COMES

Molly and Michael have a difficult time adjusting to their spoiled new stepsister, Heather. Ellen Grafton perfectly captures the selfish, manipulative Heather and the disgusted responses of her stepsiblings. Their parents, hopeful that the family will come together with a move to the country, find a home next to a graveyard—a graveyard with a ghost who leads young girls into a watery grave. As Heather fights to pull the family apart and makes an alliance with the ghost, Grafton's reading hints at her inner struggle. The strength of Grafton's narration is the power she gives to the many strained family interactions. These create a listening tension that mounts to a taut conclusion as Molly fights to save the tormented Heather from the ghost. S.W. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2009]