The Education of Mary

Ann Rinaldi's story is based on true events that happened when Miss Prudence Crandall of Canterbury, Connecticut, opened her school to young ladies of color in 1832. Main character Mary, a local girl who could pass for white, was a student at the school. Caroline Clay portrays Mary as a solid realist who grows into someone who can see possibilities and create change. The production is marred by a muffled sound quality, but Clay helps bring listeners closer to the action with gentle expressiveness in narration and distinct voices and accents in dialogue. The production provides insights into an early Civil Rights struggle. A.F. (c) AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine