REBECCA

Rebecca is perhaps the ultimate girl book: A young woman, alone in the world and without means, is swept off her feet by a handsome, dashing widower who marries her and takes her back to his manor by the sea. This is the stuff of Romance novels, with the happy addition of fine writing, well-developed characters, and a plot that truly surprises. The luckiest of us discovered it at 16, the perfect age to be entranced by the story of the second Mrs. de Winter, whose happy new life is nearly destroyed by her husband's dark, mysterious past. No matter if you've already read those famous opening lines--"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again"--or heard them in the various excellent movie versions of the novel, you simply must hear Alexandra O'Karma weave this spell. All the characters are on target; even the minor ones paint a lively picture of English country life between the wars. But this is the tale of two women, and O'Karma virtually inhabits them both: the maniacal Mrs. Danvers, who personifies the force of the late Rebecca; and the young, genuine Mrs. de Winter, so in love, so hopeful, so vulnerable to the unexpected threats to her marriage. Forget the car, the exercise machine, the airport waiting roomScurl up with this audiobook by the fire, with a cup of tea and a box of chocolatesSwhether you're 16 or 60. E.K.D. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB 98]