THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS THAT HEAVEN BEARS

Dion Graham turns in a fine performance as Sepha Stephanos, an Ethiopian shop owner in Washington, DC, whose somewhat desolate life takes a turn for the better with the arrival of Judith, a white scholar, and her daughter, Naomi, to his rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. The slow pace of the writing could easily have led to a heavy, dragging narration, but Graham's affectation of an African accent and his reflective tone of world-weariness add the perfect touch to the story of a man whose life takes a few unexpected turns after many years of sameness. Graham's tone and accent change to reflect the accents of local residents and African friends, adding a pleasant contrast and liveliness to the narrative. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2008]