ASHES ON THE MOOR

After the loss of her family, Evangeline Blake is uprooted from her upper-class lifestyle and sent to Smeatley, a small town amid the moors of West Yorkshire, to work as a teacher. Narrator Justine Eyre's wide-ranging performance expertly showcases this region's challenging dialect, allowing listeners to fully experience the language and culture barriers Evangeline must overcome to connect with her students. Evangeline is not the only outsider in Smeatley--she soon forms an unexpected relationship with lilting Irishman Dermot McCormick, a brick mason and single father. For the townspeople and Dermot, their dialects are tied to their identity and sense of community. Eyre's thoughtful consideration of these traits is wonderfully displayed through her nuanced and well-crafted performance. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2018]