UNABRIDGED AUDIO BOOK 9 HOURS ON 8 CDs function popUp(URL,NAME) { amznwin=window.open(URL,NAME,"location=yes,scrollbars=yes,status=yes,toolbar=yes,resizable=yes,width=380,height=450,screenX=10,screenY=10,top=10,left=10"); amznwin.focus();} document.open(); document.write(""); document.close();

"Between" should have been Nonny Frett's middle name instead of the name of her hometown. Born to a rebellious Crabtree teenager but raised by a deaf and blind, gracious Frett, Nonny's life consists of contrasts and contradiction. The Fretts and Crabtrees have been carrying on a Hatfield-McCoy existence for generations, but the disclosure of Nonny's actual genealogy crystallizes the animosity between the two factions in the tiny town of Between.

Nonny is torn between the unbridled passion of her Crabtree ancestors and the refined elegance of her Frett adoptive family. Even the men in her life exhibit polar opposite characteristics. The book is a study in the similarity of differences and the dichotomy of things that seem to be alike. Along with humorous characters and unexpected plot twists, the book provides a look at living happily and productively with blindness and deafness.

Joshilyn Jackson's narration of her book is a delight. I found myself giggling over the remarks made by the opposing matriarchs who, although they consider themselves opposites, are so alike in their prejudices and behaviors. She gives each character the perfect degree of twang to fit their level of refinement, from red-neck to urbane. Jackson is an entertaining reader as well as an accomplished author. The fact that she does both so well makes this audio book all the more remarkable.

I loved this audio book and found myself wishing I could plan a trip to Between, Georgia to meet the Crabtrees and Fretts. Jackson's delivery of her dialogue is so engaging that quips and phrases linger in the brain even after the last CD ends. If ever a book was meant to be read aloud, this is it.

Ruth Mormon
9/10/06