The Girl in the Red Coat

Beth is a divorced mom in England who lives in fear that her eight-year-old daughter, Carmel, who has a tendency to wander, will go missing. Her nightmare comes true when a wily, fanatical preacher kidnaps Carmel and takes her to America. The chapters alternate between Beth’s heartbreaking search for her daughter and attempts to continue life without her, and Carmel’s strange adventure and struggle to adapt, survive, and maintain her identity far from home. Voice actress Beamish’s narration is superb, particularly in Carmel’s chapters: at first, she narrates in a child’s voice, but gradually she begins to sound like a teenager, and then, eventually, she starts to speak in an American accent. Beamish also perfectly conveys Carmel’s personality and thought process: she is a naive child, yet also observant and intelligent, trying to piece things together and learn the truth, and determined to hold on to her true name, identity, and memories no matter what. In Beth’s chapters, Beamish vividly conveys the heartbreaking sorrow, fear, hope, and guilt of a mother who has lost her child. The excellent voice narration makes this riveting novel even more powerful on audio. [em]A Melville House hardcover. (Feb.) [/em]