MOONRISE OVER NEW JESSUP

Karen Chilton's performance of this debut novel is what happens when an outstanding narrator finds their perfect match in a text. In 1957, Alice Young flees her home in rural Alabama and lands in New Jessup, an all-Black town that has spent generations carving out a place for itself as a safe haven for Black families. There, Alice falls for Raymond Campbell, a man whose organizing efforts are beginning to make waves in a way that Alice questions. Through every twist and turn of this novel, Chilton's performance provides an intimate understanding of its characters. Her narration captures the emotional turmoil of a young woman who is fighting to keep her newfound home safe for the next generation. K.D.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2023]