HELL OF A BOOK

If ever there was a piece of fiction suited to becoming an audiobook, this is it. The novel's two protagonists tell distinct but interlocking stories of what it is like to be Black in America. Narrator JD Jackson's inspired portrayal of an unnamed author on a boozy book tour has the sandy sadness of a man coming to terms with fame, race, and death. Ronald Peet, whose voice has a fine magisterial sound, delivers the parallel story of "Soot," a 10-year-old Black boy. Peet's narration has eloquence and authority that fits the hard truths. Soot is taunted for the blackness of his skin, and he experiences the horror of seeing his father shot and killed by a policeman. This bittersweet audiobook is moving and memorable. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2021]