The Story Girl

Sent to live with their extended family, Bev and his brother Felix make friends with the children from the surrounding area, including the story girl whose talent for telling stories is famous throughout the community. While Conlin's voice fits the role of the story girl, she doesn't fill out the voices of other characters. Often during the long narratives, Conlin lets her voice fall off at the end of sentences, endangering the listener's attention. The gradual quieting of her already soft voice gives the reading a monotonous effect. Conlin best performs the stories the story girl tells; in these her voice and demeanor come alive with natural enthusiasm. For fans of Montgomery's books, however, the few flaws will be easily tolerated. P.A.J. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine