MISS JULIA'S SCHOOL OF BEAUTY

Miss Julia is fast becoming a Southern literary icon, with narrator Cynthia Darlow’s excellent presentation aiding her popularity. In this outing, not only is Miss Julia questioning the validity of her wedding chapel marriage, but she’s also assisting Hazel Marie, her late husband’s mistress, with a beauty contest for Miss Abbot County Sheriff’s Department. The usual luscious ingredients of Southern manners, sex, and modern and traditional values collide with human foibles, causing hilarious results. Darlow is splendid as she personifies Little Lloyd (a 9-year-old white boy), Miss Lillian and Leticia (Julia’s African-American maid and her granddaughter), Mr. Pickens (Hazel Marie’s detective/beau), and Sam (Miss Julia’s intended) plus the young, unformed beauty pageant contestants. Darlow’s skill lies in each character being splendid without overdoing the accent. One of Ross’s best for old--and new--fans. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/SEP 05]