Five Little Peppers and How They Grew

This is one of the seminal books of American children's fiction. First published in 1881, eleven more volumes followed in the Pepper series, making Harriet Mulford Stone Lathrop internationally famous (as Margaret Sidney.) The series still enjoys wide readership today. It's the story of how the Peppers cope with poverty and difficulty, always with courage and cheer, after the death of Mr. Pepper. A poor narrator could have made it sickly sentimental, but Grace Conlin brings flair and passion to the task and does a superb job. Her cadence is rapid, and her characterizations are distinctive and strong. D.W. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine