STEEPLEJACK Steeplejack, Book 1

Tough, inquisitive, and forthright. Breakout African-born actress Noma Dumezweni perfectly captures the voice and personality of chimney sweep Anglet Sutonga. The lithe 17-year-old defies her family, elders, mobsters, and an apartheid-like culture to return a luminous blue beacon to her fair city. STEEPLEJACK is a wonderfully strange young adult novel that draws inspiration from such divergent influences as magic realism, Charles Dickens, noir detective fiction, and African colonial history. Dumezweni’s singularly haunting vocal presence makes the characters and story even more immediate and compelling. STEEPLEJACK turns out to be Dumezweni’s first audiobook narration. Let’s hope we hear more from her soon. B.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2017]