LET US DESCEND

This audiobook puts into practice the idea that speaking quietly can have a more significant impact than shouting. Ward herself provides the quiet, gentle voice that tells the story of Annis, a young slave. With a patient, calm delivery, Ward narrates Annis's journey from North Carolina to New Orleans, and, while her tribulations are heartbreaking in themselves, somehow Ward's measured voice makes them all the more so with her sorrowful tone. The plot and prose have slow, belabored stretches, but they don't detract significantly from the impact of the novel as a whole. Ward does a fine job of holding the listener's attention during those times, and the horror of Annis's experiences is made bearable because of Ward's understated strength. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2023]