The Summer House.

Jude Deveraux. 2001. Read by Karen Ziemba. Abridged. 4 tapes, 4.5 hrs. Simon & Schuster Audio. 0-7435-0454-2. $25.00. Cardboard, plastic; plot notes. SA

Leslie, Madison and Ellie met once, 19 years ago, on their 21st birthdays. But the bond they formed was so memorable that Ellie contacted

the others to share their 40th. For these three women the intervening years have not been kind. Leslie's marriage is failing, Ellie's divorce brutalized her, and aspiring model Madison is scraping by as a veterinarian's assistant. At a Maine summerhouse, the three discover Madame Zoya, who offers to return each one to whatever pivotal moment they wish for three months. After that, they can either return to their old lives or keep the new ones.

Ziemba offers up a variety of both perky and downtrodden voices, often within the same character. Her male voices are solidly male by inflection and cadence if not tenor. Though abridged, the central story stays tight, with each woman receiving an equal share of the adventure. Totally unbelievable, but also a delightfully guilty pleasure. For public libraries. Jodi L. Israel, MLS, Jamaica Plain, MA