WALKER'S CROSSING

Ryan, a tall, reed-thin seventh grader, wants only to be a cowboy working on the ranch where he and his family live and where he spends all of his spare time helping out with whatever chores need doing. His older brother Gil, his mother's favorite, hates ranching but is unable to find his niche until he joins the Mountain Patriots Association, a local militia group that spews hate messages about the government, immigrants, and non-whites. Ryan spends the school year in conflict about whom to believe, Gil or the others in his community who see things differently. Naylor's message is not subtle, and listeners might wince at the blunt racial, religious, and ethnic slurs. Tom Wopat delivers an appropriately understated performance, which accurately conveys the pain caused by bigotry and narrow- mindedness. While each character's voice is unique, they all have the authentic twang and cadence one expects of Wyoming. S.S.R. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC/JAN 01]