MOTHER FATHER UNCLE AUNT Stories From lake Wobegone

Recorded collections of Keillor's monologues from broadcasts of "A Prairie Home Companion" have an engaging common thread. These pieces drop in on the lives of families, as seen from different points of view, including both grown child and parent. In "Children Will Break Your Heart," Keillor follows several generations of parents and children, depicting the repetition of family histories. Several of the essays salute families, encouraging us to be in touch with the ironies and challenges of kith and kin. Often poignant, with a tangible melancholy, as in "Bob Anderson's Last Dance," some pieces seem to share a confidence. Occasionally Keillor softens his voice almost to a whisper as he does with a young man's experiences in "The Flood." Several of the selections are lengthy and, while Keillor begins with humorous bits as introductions, the stories are contemplative and perspicacious, delivered with an ultimate command of the medium. Keillor is such a master raconteur that each odyssey is a treasure. R.F.W. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 98]