Amelia Peabody: old friend rediscovered

On my most recent trip, I entertained myself by listening to a book on CD. I do this often because I find audio books far more entertaining than movies on small screens.

In this case, the book was The Golden One by Elizabeth Peters. The book wasn't new to me. I'd listened to it before, but it is a particular favorite listening experience due to the talent of Barbara Rosenblat, the actress who narrates the story.

The story itself is full of intrigue, greed, tomb robbing -- think the Brendan Fraser/Rachel Weisz "Mummy" movies without the supernatural element. It's a great swashbuckling kind of story, but what makes the audio book so wonderful is Barbara Rosenblat. She's simply amazing as she performs. Her voice lends itself as easily to a wily Egyptian trader as it does to a young girl or middle-aged Egyptologist Amelia Peabody or Radcliffe Emerson, the Father of Curses.

Ms. Rosenblat weaves a spell with her voice and transports you to Egypt as it was in 1917. I adore Elizabeth Peters. Her writing is always superb. Barbara Rosenblat does her Amelia Peabody books justice, easily helping your imagination create mental pictures of the characters as she effortlessly goes from character to character.

The book is entitled The Golden One, but Barbara Rosenblat is golden too. Her voice is a golden treasure.