Gilbert and Sullivan Set Me Free

by Kathleen Karr Narrated by Carmen Viviano Crafts, Full Cast

Overview

Libby Dodge is in a place she's never been before: prison.

Frightened, lonely, surrounded by a wild crew of tough, hard-minded women, Libby finds unexpected support in big, bluff Ma McCreary. When the prison's chaplain hears the two women belting out vaudeville songs in the prison laundry, Libby finds that her extraordinary voice may be the key to a new life.

But before she can truly be free, she must face the life she left behind, which was another kind of prison altogether.

Inspired by a real event, this dazzling novel celebrates the healing power of music, and the resilience of the human spirit. It is brought to vibrant life in this recording by a full cast of talented actresses who burst into song whenever necessary.

We guarantee you've never heard anything like it!

©2003 Kathleen Karr; (P)2004 Full Cast Audio

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Karr (Skullduggery; The Great Turkey Walk) bases this vivid historical novel on an actual performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance in a women's prison in 1914. The novel starts off strong, propelled by the comic voice of 16-year-old narrator Libby Dodge and titillating clues about what this elegant, educated heroine did to land among a company of reprobates. (Other inmates include Mother McCreary, "a jolly sort-in for life after having whacked her husband over the head, then chopped him into tiny pieces," arsonist Molly Matches and the perfidious Gladys, who "made a mint on her `baby farm' " but killed the illegitimate offspring in her care.) In keeping with the mood of the times, the new chaplain, Mrs. Wilkinson, advocates reform and rehabilitation, not mere punishment, and with this aim she forms a prison choir (a premise that Gilbert and Sullivan themselves might have relished). The former choir mistress of the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company (which specialized in G&S), Mrs. Wilkinson decides to stage Penzance; readers don't need prior knowledge of the comic opera to appreciate the humor of the prisoners' reactions ("[The pirates would] make awful burglars!" scoffs one). Freely importing the spirit of light opera, Karr creates an atmosphere not wholly dissimilar to a madcap multi-age dormitory, despite the grim conditions; and her heroine, during a week in solitary confinement, recounts a past that is full of melodramatic reversals while she heads toward a triumphant future. Wittily illuminating the issues of another era, this novel both stimulates and entertains. Ages 10-14. (June) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-Karr's novel celebrates the transformative power of music and theater. If it were not based on an actual event, this story of how a production of The Pirates of Penzance changes the lives of inmates at a women's prison would be easy to dismiss as unrealistic or far-fetched. However, there really was a Sherborn Prison for Women in early-1900s Massachusetts. Mrs. Wilkinson, the chaplain who insisted on bringing music inside its walls, was a real person, and Libby Dodge, the 16-year-old protagonist whose life is most deeply affected by her involvement in the operetta, is also partially based on an inmate. Libby is immensely likable, and it's easy to root for her and her fellow thespians from the start. When she finally reveals the true circumstances behind her life of thievery, she earns even greater sympathy, though the idea of her being granted a full music scholarship is a bit hard to swallow. Still, the book boasts a unique setting inhabited by a colorful cast of characters that is not often seen in children's literature. And if the main message is a bit heavy-handed, it will resonate with readers who have been lucky enough to experience the true joy of theater.-Ronni Krasnow, New York Public Library Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Based on historical events that would seem incredible if fictitious, this fast-paced outing places itself in a Massachusetts women's prison in 1914. Libby Dodge, 16, in for jewel theft, finds herself mixing with a veritable stew of female felons, from housebreakers and prostitutes to drug addicts and baby murderers. When she comes to the attention of the new prison chaplain because of her clear singing voice, a new chapter in her life opens up. Against all probability, the chaplain turns a ragtag mob of criminals into first a choir, then a full-scale theatre company to perform The Pirates of Penzance, creating goodwill, solidarity, and self-esteem among the motley bunch. Karr offers an appealing blend of comedy, drama, history, and politics, the latter played out in the conversations among the inmates whose takes on women's rights in 1914 still seem relevant today. If the ending for Libby is a little pie-in-the-sky, given her antecedents, it is still emotionally satisfying. A splendid historical note details the actual events and individuals that inspired the novel. (Fiction. 10-14)

OCT/NOV 05 - AudioFile

Melodies abound throughout this engaging novel based on the actual story of Libby Dodge, a 16-year-old sent to the Sherborn Prison for women in the early 1900s. Carmen Viviano-Crafts brings Libby alive as she finds her place in the prison world, and The Full Cast Family adds just the right spice to the hard-boiled inmates Libby befriends during her time there. Although its setting is dreary, this is a hopeful story, punctuated by bursts of songs by Gilbert and Sullivan as the inmates strive to carry out a production of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE. Libby and her friends will tug on listeners’ heartstrings and make them want to sing along. D.L.M. 2006 Audie Award Finalist © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171725891
Publisher:	Full Cast Audio
Publication date:	01/01/2004
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 13 Years

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