AFIA IN THE LAND OF WONDERS

British Nigerian actor Wunmi Mosaku ushers listeners into a sinister "land of wonders" inspired by--and darker than--Lewis Carroll's Alice stories. Afia, 16, who longs for adventure, impulsively follows an itinerant market vendor into the forbidden forest that encircles her home of Dafra. There, she encounters wonders aplenty--along with terrors. Mosaku modulates between a richly textured West African accent for her characters' dialogue and the plummy tones of the BBC for the narrative. Mosaku is equally convincing as the increasingly frightened Afia, the malevolent Queen Ukiwa, and the trickster sprite Ojike and will keep listeners on the edges of their seats. Those who know Carroll's works will be struck by this reinvention; even those who are not will be swept up in the adventure. V.S. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2025]