THE LONG WAY HOME An Immigrant Generation and the Crucible of War

The author recounts the personal histories of 12 immigrants, men who epitomize what a generation of pre-WWI immigrants endured, and how they changed in their journeys from immigrant to soldier to citizen. The stories of enduring ocean crossings, passing through Ellis Island, and trying to find work pull at the heartstrings. In the audio production, one finds frequent shifts among the dozen individuals who recount their memories, a structure that is difficult to follow in audio. Narrator Erik Synnestvedt is unable to make the accounts sound as if they come from 12 men rather than one. With annoying predictability, he isolates the short sentences from one other with long pauses. He does, however, speak clearly and enunciate well. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2010]