Eight Cousins

Orphaned Rose goes to live with her aunts and fares poorly. She is sad, weak, and frightened of the seven male cousins who live nearby. This all changes when Uncle Alex, her new guardian, returns from his sea voyages to take over his duties. He encourages Rose to laugh and play and leave mourning behind, and Rose finds real happiness in her new situation. Barbara Caruso narrates in a formal tone appropriate for a story first published in 1875. Still, the exuberant and eccentric cast of characters begs for lively vocal characterizations, so some of the playful group scenes fall flat. In spite of this missed opportunity, this is a serviceable production of a classic work. A.F. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine