Sleeping Tiger

April 3, 2000
Pilcher is known for her warm, compassionate tales of English family life. But this 1967 novella, available on audio for the first time, is not one of her better efforts. An orphan brought up by her maternal grandmother, 20-year-old Selena has always wondered about her never-mentioned father. Her only link to him is a photograph, and when she spots, on the back of a book jacket, an author photo with an uncanny resemblance to her father, she impetuously takes off for Spain to find him. Selena's extreme na vet becomes irritating after a while, and suspenseful and comic moments seem forced and drawn out. Narrator Carey excels at voicing the many quarrels in this book, easily switching from Selena's high-pitched, protesting voice to an exasperated male tone. Unfortunately, she has no facility for accents. She's fine for the Brits: Selena, her fianc , the author Selena suspects is her father. But much of the action takes place on an island off the coast of Spain, and Carey's Spanish accent for the supporting characters is simply not credible. An American character, too, sounds anything but American.