THE BASTARD

Sarah Coomes convincingly navigates between light female French voices and the harsh masculine voices of English men. Beautiful Jeannette Boucher must marry a rich but repulsive English nobleman to save her French emigré family. But before the marriage is consummated, Jeanette discovers her husband intends to let another take his place in their marriage bed. Escaping, she is thrown into the path of handsome Lieutenant Crawford Treynor. Coomes's portrayals of Treynor's calculating mother, who gave birth to him out of wedlock, and his arch enemy, a vindictive English officer, are especially well done. The story is entertaining, and Coomes's performance is well acted and enthusiastic. A.C.P. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2013]