Another Kind of Life.

ANOTHER KIND OF LIFE. Catherine Dunne. 2003. Read by Dearbhla Molloy. 10 tapes. 11.5 hrs. BBC Audiobooks America. 0-7540-8397-7 $84.95. Vinyl; plot, author, reader notes. SA

Set in Ireland, especially in Northern Ireland, during political tensions and unrest from 1886 to 1906, this novel follows the fortunes and misfortunes of two sets of sisters from different backgrounds. As young teens, sisters Mary and Cecilia have to work in horrible conditions at a linen mill in Belfast, barely supporting a hand to mouth existence. In contrast, sisters Hannah, May and Eleanor live their childhood in Dublin in middle-class comfort until misfortune befalls the family. and the paths of the families cross. Molloy's reading is excellent. She has only a slight British accent, but creates a strong Irish brogue for the working-class characters in the novel. She doesn't create a different voice for all the many characters as the story is narrated from the viewpoint of the different sisters and these serve as chapter divisions. She shares the dreams and determination of the sisters who imagine another kind of life for themselves, hoping to leave behind the predetermined future that tradition and custom has dictated for each of them. Carol Kellerman, Santa Fe, NM