"Anyone she touched at the party that night would remain eternally in her power, she thought, smiling at herself in the mirror..."
-From The Red Fox Fur Coat by Teolinda Gersão
Strong female protagonists grace this collection celebrating women in all their incarnations young and old: mothers, sisters, daughters, grandmothers, lovers, widows ... and a 70-year-old nun.
Teolinda Gersão's The Red Fox Fur Coat
translated by Margaret Jull Costa
read by Kathleen Chalfant
A woman splurges on an irresistible coat that "becomes' her.
Kim Edwards' The Story of My Life
read by Holly Hunter
A teenager who has grown up as her activist mother's poster-child realizes the strength of her own convictions.
Allan Gurganus' It Had Wings
read by Marian Seldes
An angel lands in a widow's backyard.
Richard Russo's The Whore's Child
read by Harold Gould
A nun's unusual life story becomes the focus of the writing class she signs up for.
David Haynes' Taking Miss Kezee to the Polls
read by Michael Genet
A young Election Day volunteer gets more than he bargained for when he drives a feisty old voter to the polls.
D.H. Lawrence's The Horse Dealer's Daughter
read by Jon DeVries
A young peasant woman saved from drowning is suddenly drawn to her rescuer and hopeful about her life.
"As usual, the collection is nicely eclectic, with a sprinkling of well-known names and stories that run the gamut of emotion from funny to tragic" - from AudioFile Magazine
Publishers Weekly's starred review: According to these well-chosen stories, a "wondrous woman" is foxy, resilient, stubborn and a bit magical. In David Haynes's "Taking Miss Kezee to the Polls," the title character is a fiery octogenarian with a flaming red wig to match. Michael Genet delivers Miss Kezee's sassy proclamations with aplomb and brilliantly renders the bewilderment and compassion of the good-hearted young man who has been delegated to chauffeur her around town. In Kim Edward's "The Story of My Life," Holly Hunter is pitch-perfect as the spunky teenage daughter of an antiabortion activist, reclaiming her right to individual choices. Two of the stories involve a touch of magical realism. In Allan Gurganis's "It Had Wings," a frail widow takes full advantage of an angel who falls into her yard. Marian Seldes performs the woman's narrative slowly and carefully as surely such a woman would address us. In contrast, Kathleen Chalfant takes us slowly but sensuously through a "humble bank clerk's lust for "The Red Fox Coat" she covets until she becomes one with it. This touching and hilarious collection of well-crafted tales is beautifully rendered by its performers.
