April 3, 1995

Page 30

Audio Reviews

Christy by Catherine Marshall
Read by Kellie Martin
Audio Renaissance

Three Cassettes, 270 minutes
$19.95 ISBN 1-55927-324-0

Marshall (1914 - 1983) had a bestseller with 'Christy' in 1967. She based her novel on her mother's experiences as a young missionary teaching in a one-room schoolhouse in Tennessee's Smoky Mountains early in this century. The tape starts out sound- ing like a sugary coming-of-age story, oozing earnest innocence. But Marshall's tale gains real resonance and emotional bite as 'Christy's' character matures. She's forced to come to grips with the complexities of life among the mountain people -- the workings of family feuds, folk medicine, hog farming, and moonshining. Naturally, possible love interests also arise. Actress Martin reads the first-person account with a wistful naivete (she played 'Christy' in last year's CBS television adaptation of the book). All this works best as young-adult escapist fare -- made more credible by it's strong historical accuracy. It's suitable for general listeners as well, if they don't mind peering at the past through a lacy gauze. Based on the 1967 McGraw Hill book (Mar.)