THE WHIP

This debut historical novel by celebrated actress Kondazian explores the inner struggles of Charlotte (Charley) Parkhurst who, thanks to the strange circumstances of her life, chooses to live as a man in California in mid-1850s. Robin Weigert is able to portray Charlotte as both a man and a woman with very slight changes in her voice. She clearly defines the interesting set of characters in Charlotte’s life with changes in pitch, tone, and regional accents. In addition to Charlotte’s inner struggles and gender switches, the story hints of other women in the Old West who could not be self-reliant, respected, and independent as females. This ambitious plot, well performed, is based on a true story. S.C.A. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2012]