TAKE THIS WOMAN

All the personal tragedies possible in life can't stop Laura Blake from making her mark on the world, just as her dying father promised. Crazy mother, malicious relatives, evil neighbors, swinely suitors, and business reversals only strengthen her. Maggie Ollerenshaw gently portrays the post-WWII heroine and her tales of woe, from childhood to a 30-something wedding. Ollerenshaw's cadence early on settles into a rhythmic lullaby, occasionally broken for the strident ravings of some lunatic or villain. Her characters, occasionally brilliant, more often slide into one another, leaving the listener to figure out who's talking. Once the story finally gets interesting (around tape 10), the plot carries the performance. R.P.L. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: FEB/MAR 01]