OPAL DESERT

Three women—a young athlete, a middle-aged artist, and an elderly recluse—come together in the opal-mining territory of the Australian outback. Narrator Kate Hood takes on the personality of each woman as she shares her story of love, loss, and acceptance. Hood’s portrayals of the Australian women and men fit perfectly with the story, adding emotional depth. However, all of the many foreigners— whether Italian, French, Danish, or Slavic—have the same indistinguishable accent, which is ultimately distracting. Hood is at her best when delivering the straightforward narratives, in which she brings out the beauty of the Australian Outback and makes the details of opal mining sound fascinating. M.M.G. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2012]