WHEN THE SEA TURNED TO SILVER

Kim Mai Guest’s precise, soft reading sets a mood in which magic and reality meet. Shy Pinmei lives far up a mountain with Amah, her wise, storytelling grandmother. Guest’s gentle tone fits both Pinmei’s timidity and their quiet life. But Guest’s voice grows harsh when the ruthless emperor and his soldiers burst in and capture Amah. Her release will occur only in exchange for the Luminous Stone That Lights the Night. So begins Pinmei’s brave mission with her neighbor, Yishan. Her storytelling gift and bravery grow, measured by Guest’s strengthening voice. Guest gracefully voices the author’s elegant prose and weaves a wealth of bejeweled folktales into three entwined stories—the adventurers’ quest, the imprisoned Amah, and the suffering of Black Tortoise of Winter. A wonderful fable for family listening. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2016]