THE RETURN OF THE SOLDIER

Three women labor to cure a soldier of shell-shock-induced amnesia, painfully aware that “recovery” will mean his return to the front. Though beautifully written, this story is so steeped in the sensibilities of upper-class England in 1918 as to seem alien, and perhaps a little offensive, to an American in the 1990’s. Nadia May does much to bridge the gap. In the same way that a fine actor can make Shakespeare’s verse sound spontaneous and natural, she gives West a voice that sounds familiar and unforced, allowing the poignancy and psychological sophistication of the story to be heard. J.N. ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JAN 98]