CLOUDY IN THE WEST

A 12-year-old boy has just lost his father, his most trusted friend. The boy was to inherit the farm, but his stepmother and a mysterious farmworker have other plans, so Joey Shipman sets off deep into the heart of 1880s Texas. With the energetic sound effects of rushing rivers, skittish horses, glowing campfires, and heavy body blows, every moment of this 36th (1997) Elmer Kelton Western is enhanced by realistic sound. The tale leans heavily on Ken Jackson's relaxed delivery of both the narrative and the 1960s TV-Western-style dialogue, with chapters framed by spots of guitar music. But what sets the story apart is that the hero's search isn't for gold or a gunfighter's glory. It's for family. And that's got a good, honest sound to it. B.P. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2015]