THE CHRYSALIS

"The Chrysalis," a painting by the fictional seventeenth-century Dutch painter Johannes Miereveld, unites the multiple story lines of Terrell's debut novel. The painting commemorates Miereveld's love for Amalia, the beautiful daughter of a government official. In this performance Carrington MacDuffie grabs listeners by the ears and doesn't let go. MacDuffie navigates the novel's shifting stories and settings with a steady hand. In the parallel plot, Hilda Baum, a Holocaust survivor, attempts to retrieve the painting, which she believes was stolen from her family. In modern-day New York, rising attorney Mara Coyne investigates the ownership of the painting, putting her life and career at risk. The modern stories play as a passionate counterpoint to the wonderful love story of the artist Miereveld and Amalia. R.O. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 07]