TINY SUNBIRDS, FAR AWAY

This powerful debut novel recounts the story of Blessing as she grows from adolescence to adulthood in war-torn Nigeria. The emotional complexities, civil unrest, and cultural conflicts she encounters move this work far beyond the standard coming-of-age story. Early distractions caused by narrator Claudia Alick's contrived, childish voices and inconsistent accents eventually disappear, and her performance strengthens as the book progresses. She performs most convincingly as she captures the bitterness of Blessing’s disillusioned brother, the desperation and wrenching grief of her mother, and the quiet strength and joy of Blessing herself as an adult. Alick lives up to Watson's lyrical prose and delivers a gripping presentation of life amid war as well as a celebration of the will to survive. M.O.B. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2011]