THE REST OF US

Mitchard reads selections from her collection of newspaper columns written, she says, for those of us who are not Martha Stewart and were not the popular cheerleader who was good at calculus--that is--for the rest of us. She addresses a variety of topics, including raising children, coping with the death of her husband from cancer and the attitudes of friends and family when she decided to adopt her fifth child after his death. (Most thought her insane.) She reads in a clear Mid-western accent with an easy grace, letting her emotions enhance each piece. Seemingly unselfconscious about sharing her weaknesses as well as her strengths, and her failures as well as her successes, she moves, amuses and sometimes startles the listener. At the end, one wishes for a full-length audio and more of Mitchard's observations. M.A.M. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 99]