THE BEST AMERICAN ESSAYS 2024

This outstanding audio collection begins with a thought-provoking introduction by editor Wesley Morris in which he discusses the struggle over what individuals and societies can think. The narrators take turns delivering the 22 works originally featured in publications such as HARPER'S MAGAZINE, THE ATLANTIC, and THE NEW YORKER. One standout is "Jenisha from Kentucky." Jeanette Illidge narrates with plenty of emotion as the main character struggles to grow up with a drug-addicted mother and establish a career in the big city. Another memorable work is "The Ones We Sent Away," a heartfelt piece sensitively delivered by Emily Rankin about the author's aunt who was sent away to a group home in childhood and the effects of the institutionalization of disabled people. S.E.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2025]