Alphabet of Dreams

The accent in Simhan's sinuous, supple voice is difficult to place. Burnished with the dulcet tones of the Queen's English, Simhan also bears a faint trace of foreignness, of mysterious otherness. Her clipped, elegant reading of Fletcher's fantasy tale set in ancient Persia is enhanced by this undertone of other climes. A pair of siblings, royal by birth but impoverished, discover they have the gift of reading the dreams of others, and seek to return to their rightful place with this gift's help. Simhan's performance is invested with careful diction and an occasional touch of theatrical emoting. She does a solid job of keeping this lengthy audiobook flowing, thanks to a colorful palette of voices, inflections and meaningful pauses. While there are moments that drag, Simhan keeps them to a minimum. She gets into the spirit of this Arabian Nights -esque fantasy with aplomb. Ages 12-up. (Aug.)