LITTLE HUT OF LEAPING FISHES

This fascinating story gives the listener a rare look at the end of Imperial China, when Western culture and “foreign devils’’ threatened to turn that world upside down. With a Chinese accent and deliberate delivery, Keith Brockett sets the stage for this complex story of sibling rivalry, politics, and cultural upheaval. His careful pace helps the listener distinguish between characters whose names sound similar to Western ears. He breathes life into each character, especially brothers Mingzhi and Mingyuan, and emphasizes the universal dynamics of their relationship. As the eldest and, therefore, most valued grandson of the powerful Chai family, Mingzhi’s future is predestined while his half-brother, Mingyuan, is condemned to toil permanently in his brother’s shadow. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2011]