Escape

October 15, 2007
Seventeen years after being forced into a polygamous marriage, Jessop escaped from the cultlike Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints with her eight children. She recounts the horrid events that led her to break free from the oppressive world she knew and how she has managed to survive since escaping, despite threats and legal battles with her husband and the Church. Though sometimes her retelling overflows with colorful foreshadowing and commentary on how exceptional she is, the everyday details she reveals about this polygamous society are devastating and tragic. Frasier delivers Jessop's words in a soft voice that develops intriguingly from an innocent and naïve tone into a more assertive and self-confident one that mirrors Jessop's journey. She maintains the same rhythm, but through the inspired words of the text, she really embraces Jessop's persona. The bonus telephone interview with Jessop on the final disc suffers from poor sound quality and, unfortunately, doesn't add any new information. Simultaneous release with the Doubleday hardcover.

The practice of polygamy by the FLDS (Fundamentalist Latter-Day Saints) has long made the breakaway Mormon sect an object of curiosity and controversy. In her memoir, Carolyn Jessop exposes this closed society in a book that is both intriguing and unsettling. In light of this, the text can be excused its occasional melodrama and hyperbole. What is more difficult to understand is the flat presentation offered by Ann Marie Lee. Clear and precise, her delivery is pleasant enough, but her lack of drama renders this more of a reading than a performance. The final segment of the book is an interview with the author. Listening to her soft-spoken and articulate voice, one wonders why she didn't read the book herself. M.O.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine


Foreign helicopter pilots are planning their escape from Iran now that the Shah has been removed from power in this novel derived from Clavell's 1986 bestseller WHIRLWIND. A Finnish pilot and his Iranian bride find their love being tested as they attempt to escape the political and religious upheaval that ensues. A barrage of nationalities must be managed in narrating this epic. John Lee delivers accents with precision and makes clear distinctions between characters. However, Lee's narration lacks the emotion essential to such a dramatic story. His monotone changes just slightly during a segment of thrilling action or incredible tension. Unfortunately, his reading doesn't give this saga the drama it is due. J.A.K. (c) AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine