THE LAST GOLD DIGGERS

This story describes the journey that Grandfather and his dog, Roo, conduct in search of his brother, Vincent. Last known to be in the gold-mining area of the Australian Outback, Vincent has not been heard from in years. Grandfather’s entire journey is related in a series of letters to his granddaughter. The action and scenes recalled in these letters are a bit zany, for example Grandfather and Roo travel down under on a coal-powered airplane. It’s cheap, but it does take quite a bit of time. In the Outback kangaroos are used to deliver mail--they have pouches to carry it in already. While this is rather imaginative, some listeners may find it just weird. Still, Bill Wallis's reading is rather nice. His voice is somewhat gruff, but nimbly expresses the wide range of emotions the pair experiences--excitement, wonder, exasperation, resignation--as they eventually find Uncle Vincent and return home. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]