NEVER STAND ALONE

Striking miners in Northern England have enough to deal with as they try to protect their jobs. For those who have family and friends on the management side as well as children to feed, life can be almost unbearable. Lin Sagovsky shines in her total mastery of the various dialects presented in the story. She easily differentiates upper and lower classes, as well as regional dialects. Her men speak with stronger, rather than lower voices; and her women are softer, rather than higher. Her Kelly, however, sounds terminally congested, rather than tacky, and the hero's father comes across as slightly stupid, rather than poor. Still, the overall effect is one of compassion and a great story being told by one who's enjoying the reading. R.P.L. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 01]