Waceke Wambaa flawlessly delivers this harrowing but essential look at the slave trade in the 1780s from the perspectives of both the brutal staff of the enslavers and the human cargo. Listeners will be appalled to hear the captain proclaim: "To guarantee a ship's success, no humanity must exist on board!" The voices of both young and elderly Africans and European colonizers, the heartbroken and the unfazed, are all skillfully rendered. Wambaa's warm and conversational style alters immediately whenever the story requires. Most unforgettable are: Alma, a skilled archer who relentlessly searches for her kidnapped younger brother, and indomitable 14-year-old Joseph, who outfoxes much older and more experienced adversaries, much to listeners' delight. The unforgettable conclusion ties together the captivating and sometimes unanticipated connections. A stellar listening experience.
(Historical fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: 2022
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Dreamscape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Desean Terry delivers a touching performance of this reimagining of "The Great Gatsby," in which the protagonists are gay Black prep school students. Aspiring journalist Nick Carrington leaves Oklahoma to begin school at Harlem's West Egg Academy. Out of his element, Nick keeps his gay identity a closely held secret, but love interest Jay Gatsby Jr.--the academy founder's son--openly embraces his own gay identity. As they write letters to each other, each more daring and affectionate than the last, they receive threats that their budding relationship will be exposed in the school newspaper. Terry clearly presents every piece of dialogue that warrants an emotional charge and adds subtle suspense to his straightforward tone when needed. Terry's narration is always on the money.
(Historical fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063312517
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Sophie Jo Wasson transports listeners to Ireland in 1847 with her poignant performance. Like many throughout the country, Nell's family's potato crop is infected with a black rot that makes the potatoes inedible. Farmers are forced to choose between paying their rent from the sale of their oat crops, or feeding their families and facing eviction. Amid those tragedies, Nell and the landlord's nephew develop a quiet friendship that, despite their class differences, grows into more. Wasson's lilting intonation and Irish accent take listeners into Nell's world, capturing the devastation, terror, and dashes of hope experienced by the teenager. Secondary characters are made equally vivid with her expressive delivery. Listeners will be tempted to finish this short novel in verse in one sitting. Simply exquisite.
(Verse historical fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: 2025
Duration: 4 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063384972
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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