NIGHT SKY

The lives of an escaping Jewish scientist, a Nazi collaborator, and a single mother helping the French Resistance converge on a Brittany beach one night in 1942. What happens before and after this event takes 24 hours to relate, but it’s worth the time. Robert Powell’s cultured, pleasant voice accompanies the listener from one tense scene to the next, never overdoing the dramatics or mispronouncing a French name. He avoids heavy accents but adjusts his tone for women, children, and the villain. He also transits easily from overt action to inner thoughts, plots, and self-justifications. Through a long, stormy sea voyage or a cat-and-mouse chase in Paris, the listener’s attention does not flag. It’s a tape-turner, albeit a long one. J.B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 01]