FIRST FROST

Susan Ericksen narrates this sequel to GARDEN SPELLS with an air of familiarity and fondness for the characters and the small town where they live. Ericksen's sensitivity to the eccentricities of the Waverly sisters and their extended family transforms the disinterested narrator's voice into a friendly commentary on their experiences and feelings with a prescience about the potential impact that a stranger in town will have on their lives. She imbues the main character, 15-year-old Bay, with a sense of maturity that is only briefly interrupted by moments of adolescent angst. She deftly portrays Bay's ease in the adult sphere of her mother and aunt and slight awkwardness with her peers. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2015]