A CRACK IN THE SEA

Bouwman weaves a fascinating story of brothers and sisters, history and fantasy in this incredible tale. Narrator Bahni Turpin is extraordinary in bringing this fantasy world and its characters to life. Her pace is consistently smooth, moving from The Island in 1978 to the Zong slave ship massacre in 1781 and to Vietnamese refugees in 1976. Pip and sister Kitchen sound like typical kids. Siblings Swimmer and Venus, survivors of the 1781 disaster, carry a hint of Africa in their voices. Thanh and Sang speak English with the caution of those new to the language. The afterword, narrated by the author, discusses the historical events that became the story's seed. An amazing listening experience, timely as we again see a world in turmoil. N.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2017]