THE FITZOSBORNES IN EXILE

Along with her family, Princess Sophie has fled her island kingdom of Montmaray. She describes in her journal both the looming threat of WWII and her social season in London. Emma Bering conveys Sophie’s anxiety over mixing with British aristocrats as well as over her family’s squabbles. Bering's differentiation of voices for Sophie and the members of her family is unevenly performed. Perfectly rendered, Sophie’s Aunt Charlotte emerges as a squawking stickler for propriety. The rest of the narration is less successful. The pacing is slow, and Bering stretches out the words with a painful woebegone drawl. Worst of all is Javier, a Spanish boy who ends up sounding more like a Russian. C.A. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2011]