DREAM, ANNIE, DREAM

Narrator Sophie Oda creates a determined voice for Aoi, a 12-year-old Japanese-American who changes her name to Annie during the summer of 1987 after tiring of everyone constantly mispronouncing her Japanese name. Annie starts exploring her interests, such as theater and basketball, but along the way she faces racism and microaggressions from other students and even adults. Oda captures the difficult emotions that surface as Annie tries to figure out her aspirations in life--all while facing pressure from her family and the constraints society places on her. Listeners will cheer Annie on as she finds the strength and courage to stand up for herself in this coming-of-age story from the not-so-distant past. M.D. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2022]