MRS. DARCY AND THE BLUE-EYED STRANGER

Lee Smith’s collection of short stories, seven new and seven previously published, offers a humorous yet meaningful look at the lives of wives and mothers. The five narrators alternate stories, playing to their strengths, and all the narrators highlight the Southern settings of the stories. In “The Toastmaster,” a story told in the point of view of a child, Julia Gibson uses a youthful tone. In the title story, Kate Forbes voices characters with a more mature tone and a hint of mischief that keeps the listener guessing. Debra Monk and Susan Bennett use even tones and mature voices, often with slight Southern accents, to capture the voices of other mature women. Cynthia Darlow delivers her selections in a grandmotherly tone, her voice creating the intonation of a true Southern belle. E.N. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2012]