A Drowned Maiden's Hair

As listeners, we're rooting for orphan and troublemaker 11-year-old Maud Flynn from the moment we meet her singing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" while locked in an outhouse. A seemingly perfect situation arises for Maud when spinster sisters adopt her, but things take an unsettling turn when they reveal that she is to be their "secret" child. Alma Cuervo delivers Schlitz's text with perfection. Cuervo's reading sets the stage for this gothic mystery, which takes place at the turn of the 1900s. Both tone and pacing lend a tenor of discomfort that ensure the listener feels just as uneasy as Maud does as she attempts to discover the secrets of the Hawthorne sisters. This production is well read, with clear and consistent vocal characterizations. J.K.R. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

January 1, 2008
Gr 4-8-Set in 1909 New England, Laura Amy Schlitz's novel (Candlewick, 2006) is filled with gothic suspense. Listeners first meet 11-year-old orphan, Maud Flynn, the evening that two of the three Hawthorne sisters visit the Barbary Asylum for Female Orphans and adopt her. Although Maude is strong-willed and often in trouble, she promises to be good and loves her new home with indoor plumbing, nice clothes, a servant who treats her well, and the intriguing youngest sister, Hyacinth, who refers to her as their "secret child." It soon becomes evident that Maud is there to help the sisters with the "family business" of using spiritualism to bilk the wealthy. As the plot evolves and Maud must decide between the need for self-preservation and her desire to do the right thing, listeners will be rooting for her to succeed. Alma Cuervo gives each character a unique voice, even bringing alive Muffet, the deaf mute servant. A good choice for fans of gothic mystery and books like "Anne of Green Gables.Jo-Ann Carhart, East Islip Public Library, NY"

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