PAUPER AUCTION

Linda McGinnis exquisitely creates 1800s New Hampshire and its fascinating inhabitants. Listeners meet young widow Margery Turner, whose poverty leads her to a pauper auction, where she is "sold" to the lowest bidder for her labor. Fortunately, she and another pauper, 10-year-old Agnes, who is handicapped, soon take up residence on an apple farm run by elderly, opinionated Hannah Wheeler--McGinnis's best creation--and her kind son, Samuel. Soon, Joseph, an Algonquin, joins the family as a stonemason. The insults hurled at Joseph and the paupers are heartbreaking, as is one man's determination to marry Margery. McGinnis's verbal dexterity brings the period vividly to life, adding atmosphere to a tragic incident that solidifies the extended family. Audio creates a form of time travel that enhances this uncommon story. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2022]