REAL LIFE

Kevin R. Free narrates Taylor's stunning debut, giving voice to the simmering rage, frustration, and grief of a Black, gay graduate student who is navigating the unfamiliar, predominantly white halls of academia. Transplanted from Alabama to the Midwest, biochemistry student Wallace awkwardly struggles to fit in with his colleagues--some well meaning but oblivious, others brazenly racist. Free conveys Wallace's muted panic and anger when, just after his father's death, his lab work is viciously sabotaged. At the same time, Wallace embarks on a tentative relationship, hoping for tenderness but unearthing unresolved trauma and deep-seated pain instead. Free's narration thrums with dread as Wallace inches toward a breaking point. This powerful, unflinching story depicts the weight of unseen burdens and the awful anxiety of being different. S.A.H. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2023]