WHEN WINTER ROBESON CAME

Narrator Keylor Leigh shines in this gentle but pointed exploration of 1965 Los Angeles. When young musician Eden's cousin, Winter, visits from Mississippi, the search for Winter's missing father takes the pair on a journey through past and present Watts. The present is a time when simmering tensions between the mostly Black residents and the police are coming to a boil. Leigh matches her narration to the short free-verse chapters of the audiobook and smoothly incorporates Eden's love of musical terms. Leigh voices Eden with a poignant mix of joy at sleuthing with Winter and confusion at the growing cracks in her formerly stable universe. Eden's family members share the melodic Mississippi accent that listeners hear when quiet Winter speaks. N.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2022]