THE WATER PRINCESS

Narrator Yetide Badaki's light and gentle voice is just what one might expect from a serene princess--a water princess, no less. Badaki gently but urgently shares the story of Princess GieGie and her journey to the well for her family's water. The princess rises at six in the morning and then begins her walk through a dust-filled world. Shea nuts, music, and the company of other women fuel her journey. Badaki's elongated phrases and forcefully enunciated words underscore the drudgery and weight of the water on the homeward trek. Elation fills her voice with GieGie's first sip and then gulp of water. The production concludes with the author explaining the water crisis in Africa. Georgie Badiel, whose life inspired the story, also tells about her foundation, which supports efforts in her native Burkina Faso. A.R. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2018]