SOOLEY

John Grisham jumps back into the sports world with this wonderful portrait of a basketball prodigy from South Sudan. As narrator, the excellent Dion Graham is at his best shaping this story, which alternates between the player's life in the U.S. and in his turbulent homeland. Graham has to use multiple African accents, all of which are done deftly and vary widely. The title character, Sooley, has a soft, easygoing lilt, and his roommate's voice has a youthful timbre. One of his Sudanese coaches has a deeper tone, and an American coach is distinguished by his gruff speech. Graham is amazingly consistent with each voice. This novel keeps listeners engaged, shot after shot, game after game. M.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2021]