Alias Grace

October 13, 1997
In Atwood's latest, the notorious 19th-century murderess Grace Marks tells her story in a Toronto asylum.

A nineteenth-century housemaid endures life imprisonment for murders she may not have committed; a doctor tries to help her recover her memories of the past. This mystery unveils itself one fascinating layer at a time. Those who love a "juicy read" will relish both the book and this skilled performance. Shelley Thompson uses deft, subtle shifts of dialect and tone to distinguish the voices of the author, several secondary characters and Grace herself. Clarity, pace and pitch are admirable and consistent. S.P. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine