THE SEASON OF LILLIAN DAWES

Although nothing wildly dramatic happens in this coming-of-age story, we hear influences of Fitzgerald, Wharton, and Henry James in Mosby's elegant style. Lillian Dawes, an enigmatic woman with a dubious past, enters the opulent social whirl of New York City's last-gasp glory days of the '50s. Seventeen-year-old Gabriel Gibbs has been expelled from private school for youthful indiscretions and is thrilled to be living with his writer/poet older brother, Spencer, in the bohemian West Village. Jeff Woodman's per-formance brims with ingenuous energy. When Gabriel falls in love at first sight with Lillian, Woodman's voice yearns convincingly. When Lillian and Spencer become involved, his sadder-but-wiser Gabriel is completely credible. From lunching at the Plaza to weekend house parties out of town, we are captivated by Mosby's nostalgic watercolor. S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 02]