THE WILDEST SUN

Multitalented Imani Jade Powers narrates this panoramic coming-of-age novel about a Parisian teen named Delphine. The story, told in the first person, transports listeners from war-torn Paris to Harlem, to Havana just prior to Castro, and then back to France. Delphine is not a particularly likable heroine, but her drive captures one's imagination. She is obsessed with meeting Ernest Hemingway, whom she believes is her father--her alcoholic mother has always claimed Delphine is the result of a brief romantic liaison. Delphine is fortunate in the friends who come into her life, and they help her achieve her literary goals and connect her to her supposed father. Powers presents this novel with clarity and precision. She eschews accents and other vocal embellishments. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2024]