SISTERS OF HEART AND SNOW

Sisters Rachel and Drew Snow—portrayed by Amanda Cobb and Meredith Orlow—are in the midst of dealing with their Japanese mother’s dementia when, in a moment of clarity, she tells them to get a book from her sewing room. It’s the tale of a Samurai woman, Tomoe Gozen, who is portrayed by Tandy Cronyn in a deep, wizened voice. As the sisters come to terms with their mother’s demise, Cobb and Orlow convincingly portray their painful pasts and hidden secrets, while the story of Tomoe inspires them to find their inner strength. One distraction with all three narrators is that it’s often difficult to tell if characters are thinking or actually speaking aloud—and it’s sometimes difficult to tell which character is speaking. These challenges for listeners seem to be somewhat caused by the author’s unusual approach to the story. M.M.G. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2015]