DEAR IJEAWELE, OR A FEMINIST MANIFESTO IN FIFTEEN SUGGESTIONS

January LaVoy's narration of this short work is intentional, assertively warm, and grounded. Given her charge, she has to be. Adichie's childhood friend, Ijeawele, asks how to raise her newborn daughter as a feminist. This is not a light question. The author offers 15 suggestions; it's LaVoy's job to deliver them with decisive clarity. And she hits the mark. There is wisdom in her voice conveying a lived experience. Most often she repeats the phrase "teach her how" or "teach her to." Her imperative tone signals the necessity to be deliberate and loving. Adichie's content and LaVoy's tone remind listeners that Ijeawele is more than a mother--she's a woman who is navigating her daughter through a world filled with assumptions and questionable social and cultural norms. T.E.C. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2017]