GAP CREEK

Like too many selections from Oprah's Book Club, GAP CREEK is saturated with tragedy, hardship and melodrama. Running the gamut from family strife to floods and famine, Robert Morgan's story presents the listener with the deep poverty found in the rural Carolinas. The voice of the reader is well suited for the undereducated, hard-working heroine, Julie Harmon. Her subtle Southern accent, although choppy at times, coupled with Morgan's "country grammar," makes the narrative sound believable, even as personal difficulties spiral out of control. Overall, a mediocre story and a slightly above-average reading make GAP CREEK an enjoyable audiobook. But one has to wonder if the abridgment removed all the happy episodes from the lead character's life. H.L.S. © AudioFile 2000, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/NOV 00]