The River Wife

Agee's novel is an edgy tale of survival along the banks of the Mississippi River in nineteenth-century Missouri. While Cassandra Campbell's sweet and clear voice is pleasant, it's a strange match for some of the gory scenes of the novel. The harsh frontier life is sketched in vivid detail by Agee, and Campbell lingers over each intricate description. Campbell admirably creates voices for unusual characters, like the French trapper Jacques Ducharme, and accurately projects their emotions. However, since several characters experience deep tragedies and injuries, the overall story's emotional tone is bleak, and sustained listening can be overwhelming. R.F. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine