EVEN AS WE BREATHE

Hawaiian actor Kaipo Schwab performs the first published novel by a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. In the middle of WWII, Cowney Sequoyah is hired to be a groundskeeper at the historic Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. While there, he learns more about the Axis diplomats being held prisoner at the inn. But when a Japanese girl goes missing, the U.S. military sets their eyes on Cowney. Schwab performs teenage angst perfectly, capturing Cowney's earnestness and hope for a better future. Occasionally, Kaipo struggles to maintain the listener's attention but makes up for it with his deep understanding of the story's characters and his performance of their dialogue. K.D.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2024]