THE LOST DAUGHTER

The story opens with a flashback to teenagers Brooke and Alex and their traumatic unwanted pregnancy in a small town in Pennsylvania. From there, the story jumps 15 years to the present as Brooke’s carefully constructed life in suburban Connecticut is about to implode: Alex reenters her life to unburden his conscience and let loose the secret Brooke has kept buried all these years. Cassandra Campbell’s melodramatic delivery fits this story well. In spite of raising important issues like abortion, fidelity, honesty, and class status, the one-dimensional characters do not stir any empathy in the listener, and the far-fetched coincidences strain credulity. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2012]