THE TIES THAT BIND A Memoir of Race, Memory, and Redemption

In Berry's novel REDEMPTION SONG, she used the name of the man who employed her great-grandfather for an evil slaveholder character. She learned later that her ancestor's employer was actually an abolitionist. Karen Chilton narrates Berry's first-person account of her research into the Underground Railroad with a voice that reflects Berry's many conflicts. It's also reflective, since Berry uses the experience of having to revise her view of her ancestor’s employer as a starting point for an exploration of her own life. Berry puts her family history, her own views on race, and her life choices and traumas before the listener. Her blend of memoir and history is thoughtful, with her personal story bringing home her call for healing in race relations. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2010]