Marie

Allan Quatermain may be British born, but that doesn't stop him from loving Marie Marais, a Boer maiden in South Africa. Nor does it stop her from returning his love, although their marriage ends in tragedy born of racial hatred. Shelly Frasier transitions easily among British, French, Dutch, and American accents in her sober performance of this classic, sometimes within the scope of the same character. While this occasionally leads to confusion, her thoughtful narration of the sad and frustrating story keeps the listener riveted from one distressing scene to the next. While the cultural disputes of 1830s Africa seem insurmountable, Frasier's compassionate portrayal of Haggard's text makes the listener yearn for a peaceful solution. R.P.L. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine