Best of Women’s Short Stories, Vol. I

Harriet Walter has a breathy, often whispery voice that is sometimes appropriate and sometimes too young for a particular narrator or character. But she has an excellent dramatic sense that strengthens the pathos of tales like “Ladies in Lavender” by William J. Locke or the subtle sarcasm of charmers like “Marriage à la Mode” by Katherine Mansfield. Some stories seem dated, e.g., Elizabeth Gaskell’s “Right at Last,” and some timeless, like Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Overall, Walter provides listeners a pleasant few hours with a few good and a few very good storytellers. Listeners will look forward to additional volumes. (Sept.)