A NEW KIND OF BLISS

After her father's death, middle-aged divorcée Emily Yancy returns home to care for her aging mother. There she meets two men, neither a perfect match. Bettye Griffin writes about contemporary African-American women who find themselves in emotional conflict. In this case, the dilemma is love versus lust. Shari Peele is a perfect fit as Emily and her black middle-class world of anxiety and aspiration. Peele has great character range across both age and gender. Her skills give empathy to a story that could, with a lesser performer, sound tawdry and trite. The listener's ears may turn red at times, but Peele brings decorum to this story of sensitivity and passion. P.R © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2010]