GHOST BOY

Lawrence moves away from suspenseful sea stories to write about an unusual protagonist in this coming-of-age story. Harold is an albino who lives in a dusty town in Canada shortly after WWII. When the circus rolls in, Harold joins the gang of "freaks" in search of adventure, friendship, and acceptance. George Guidall's rough, weathered voice is excellent for every strange character Harold meets on his journey, except for Harold himself. The young man is naïve in the ways of the world, and Guidall's mature voice cannot capture that, though he does lend a bittersweet tenderness to the lonely boy. While the theme of coming to terms with being different is common, albino characters are not. It's unfortunate that Recorded Books did not add Lawrence's interesting endnotes about his research of albinism, which may have furthered the listener's understanding of this rare genetic disorder. M.M.O. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/MAY 02]