SUMMER OF THE GYPSY MOTHS

Jenna Lamia's performance radiates warmth and humor. Stella, age 11, has been on Cape Cod for a few months with her great-aunt Louise. Angel, a foster kid who hates everything, has just moved in. When Aunt Louise suddenly dies, Stella and Angel elect not tell anyone. Neither has had good experiences with the authorities in the past. Lamia voices Stella as innocent and heartbreakingly open. Angel's voice oscillates between bitter and bemused as the girls grow closer. The register of their voices is similar, but the diction, as well as the cadence Lamia uses for each, is as different as the girls themselves. It's a good thing the girls are different. To survive the summer, they need each other's strengths. A.M.P. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2013]