BASTARD OUT OF CAROLINA

Don't be put off by the title. This heartbreaker, drawn from the author's young life, will resonate with listeners who had desperate childhoods and astound those who didn't. Saddled with the moniker of "bastard" and a cruel stepfather, young Ruth Anne, nicknamed "Bone," escapes through extended family, "frenemies," books, and music. Although Elizabeth Evans's vocalizations don't accurately reflect the dialect of Greenville, South Carolina, her characterizations steep the listener in the flavor of the American South in the mid-twentieth century. Her humorous interpretations of the long-suffering women and hard-drinking men of the Boatwright family offer levity amid the details of Bone's sad life. Listeners will root for Bone and thank Allison for the gift of this timeless story of survival. J.J.B. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2013]