The Cure

In a futuristic society, all pain has been eliminated (along with art, music, love, etc.), and one boy, deemed dangerous because he sings, submits to an unusual "cure" in which he must live as a Jewish boy during the plague years in Germany, where he feels passion, sorrow, and fear. This unique blend of futuristic and historical fiction tells a riveting tale that raises hard questions about the human condition. Suzanne Toren's voice, mellifluous but never monotonous, is the perfect vehicle for this suspenseful journey into future and past. Its reassuring quality carries listeners through some painfully authentic passages as Toren captures the joy of first love and the loss of innocence. In a subtle and sensitive dramatization, the combined strengths of author and narrator make the characters seem as alive and familiar as old friends. In fact, this listener was sorry to part with them at tape's end. E.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine