THE TURNER HOUSE

Adenrele Ojo's narration doesn't help the listener navigate this sprawling tale of the Turner family, with its 13 children. Focused on Cha-Cha, the eldest, and Lelah, the youngest, the audiobook wends its way through time frames: 1958, when Cha first sees the haint; the present day, when the blighted neighborhood casts a shadow on the family home; and the 1940s, when Francis was part of the Great Migration that established the family in this once prosperous neighborhood. Incongruous pauses in Ojo's narration and a huge cast of characters lacking distinctive voices challenge the listener's enjoyment and comprehension. The dialogue, which is in dialect, would have been enhanced by the use of pacing, tone, and inflection to distinguish the speakers. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2015]