SECRETS AT SEA

The upstairs Cranstons, who are human, prepare for a voyage to Europe to find a husband for daughter Olivia, and, surprisingly, the downstairs Cranstons, who are mice, find themselves going on the same outing. Advised by a wise relative that the way to keep one’s family together is to open one’s arms, eldest mouse Helena embraces the mores of Victorian society as she keeps her siblings in line onboard ship. Who knows who will find a husband! Jayne Entwistle excels in characterization. Her “Ello, ello” of cabin steward Nigel has all of the British twang expected. As the Duchess of Cheddar Gorge, Entwistle is regal; as flappable Mrs. Cranston, dithering. As narrator, Entwistle is clipped but clear, enabling Peck’s attention to details—such as a tea service of thimbles set on a penny, guest lists in elegant script on cream-colored vellum—to shine. A.R. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2012]