With his mesmerizing and versatile voice, Dion Graham masterfully narrates the second book in Whitehead's Harlem Trilogy, featuring reformed criminal Ray Carney. Graham perfectly complements Whitehead's intricate and beautifully written portrayal of 1970s Harlem--a time marred by police and political corruption, racial tension, and a city descending into chaos. Carney, a landlord, proud furniture store owner, and family man, is reluctantly drawn back into the criminal underworld by a violent and corrupt police detective. Graham's skillful narration brings the characters, regardless of gender or ethnic background, to life, capturing their diverse personalities. This audiobook immerses listeners in the palpable fear and darkness of urban life during that time while also revealing an individual's relentless pursuit of a better existence.
Pub Date: 2023
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593455586
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
American colleges are favorable locales for ghastly event and hair-tearing circumstance. There is, for instance, a good deal of pleasure to be had out of professor and past-prodigy Grady Tripp's awful life, as portrayed by Michael Chabon in WONDER BOYS. There is a certain amount of slapstick here, but it's balanced by Chabon's superb portrait of a gale-force mid-life crisis, a soul-destroying albatross of an unfinished novel and the mind-numbing inconsequence of writers' conferences. David Colacci sounds a little starved for oxygen in his reading, but that's not exactly out of keeping with Grady Tripp's personal gestalt.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: N/A
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
As a group of men bring their own emotional baggage to their football-obsessed reunion, R.C. Bray delivers his usual solid narration. He shifts his tones slightly but enough to put the listener in the motel with the men, revealing their foibles as the story progresses. The narrator's role in this book is a descriptive one, and Bray is a good guide. His narration becomes extra important because this is a rare instance when there almost isn't a protagonist. The author's well-written story--which alternates between serious and laugh-out-loud funny--uses quarterback Joe Theismann's 1985 injury, a broken leg, as a McGuffin.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 5 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781681680057
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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