The Mistress's Daughter

April 2, 2007
Jane Adams turns her considerable talents to Homes's memoir about meeting her biological parents when she was in her early 30s. Adams captures the narrator and all the members of both the adoptive and biological families. Her rendition of Homes is so smart and urbane yet wary that listeners might assume that Homes herself is telling her own story. Ellen Ballman, the biological mother, is portrayed as Auntie Mame gone bad-her boisterous voice quickly descends from that of a woman overcome with joy at hearing her daughter to whiny demands to be taken care of. Perhaps Ellen is a bit too shrill-almost anyone would hang up after hearing this voice on the other end of a phone. Adams portrays Norman Hecht, also referred to as "the Father," with a voice as large as his considerable fortune; he cons his daughter into taking a DNA test, then refuses to give her the results. Even Adams can't make the second half of the book exciting, as she reads page after page of questions planned for a deposition. Simultaneous release with the Viking hardcover (Reviews, Jan. 15).

A.M. Homes always knew she was adopted. When she was 31, her biological mother initiated contact with her, the daughter she gave away. Jane Adams gives an extraordinary performance, bringing to life the almost clinical objectivity Homes employs throughout the first two-thirds of this memoir as she reassesses her identity after her biological mother turns her life upside down. The final third of the book spirals downward into rage over her father's broken promise to invite her into his family. Adams puts all that anger into her performance. After 22 minutes of asking questions without answers in a voice that becomes more and more hate-filled, Adams leaves the listener exhausted and full of pity for all the players in this sad story. N.E.M (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine