TESS OF THE ROAD

Listeners might be forgiven for not immediately liking protagonist Tess, since, as it turns out, she doesn’t like herself very much either. Katharine McEwan gives voice to 17-year-old Tess, who is stifled by society and by a strict upbringing, effectively communicating her anger and deep hurt. Tess inhabits the same world created by author Hartman in SERAPHINA—a world shared by humans, intelligent dragons, and quigutl, their lizard-like relatives. McEwan handles the many invented words and the lisping speech of Tess’s quig friend, Pathka, with aplomb. McEwan is an empathetic guide as Tess begins an epic journey both literal and emotional, one that gradually exposes the roots of her anger and hurt. Tess’s journey is deeply affecting, and listeners will be glad to have traveled the road with her. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2018]