SUMMER

Confronting one’s past is a common theme in movies and literature of the 1990’s. Writing in 1916, Edith Wharton mixed this theme with summer romance to craft the story of a young couple. The heroine is a small-town librarian, set in the Berkshires. No contemporary librarian would identify with Charity Royal as she disdainfully crochets lace in a disorderly room full of musty books. Reader Grace Conlin distinguishes both men’s and women’s voices easily, using hushed, intimate tones to convey the sweetness of the romance. Yet an ephemeral quality in her delivery casts a shadow of reality on the story and reminds the listener that seasons change. D.W.K. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award ©AudioFile, Portland, Maine [Published: JAN 95]