BRIDGE TO A DISTANT STAR

This fictionalized narrative of the actual 1980s Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse opens with stormy sound effects and vivid action before continuing with stories of those caught in the tragic event. Tavia Gilbert delivers an accomplished portrayal of three separate families, including their problems and what brought them to cross the bridge span. Characters run the gamut from a mother and 5-year-old daughter to parents anticipating a weekend getaway after months at their amputee son’s bedside and a young woman caught in an emotional betrayal. Gilbert's excellent performance renders diverse characters with a spectrum of accents and emotions that range from joy to stark terror as vehicles drop like out-of-control elevators in Tampa Bay waters. Gilbert’s narration is compelling and worth hearing. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2012]