REVIVAL SEASON

Joniece Abbott-Pratt's performance captures the fear and exhilaration of 15-year-old Miriam Horton as she travels the revival circuit with her family. Abbott-Pratt narrates in a fast-paced style that suits the high emotions of revival meetings, which are the focus of the plot. She expertly emulates Miriam's troubled voice when things go wrong. Miriam's famous father, a boxer turned preacher, travels the Deep South to save souls and heal the sick. But when the autocratic preacher/healer loses his gift, a brutal side of him emerges. Ironically, the spiritual gift remains in the family--Miriam herself becomes a faith healer. As the plot etches a story of patriarchy at its worst, the listener feels Miriam's pain and sees the harsh Preacher Horton for who he is. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2021]