WINGSHOOTERS

Narrator Johanna Parker boosts the impact of this heartrending coming-of-age story, set in 1974 in small-town Wisconsin. When half-Japanese Michelle LeBeau arrives to live with her paternal grandparents, she finds herself the only person of color in town. The 9-year-old is subjected to school-yard taunting until an educated black couple moves in. At first relieved to be out of the spotlight, Michelle soon learns the consequences of deep-seated hatred and the cost of protecting the innocent. Listeners will be entranced by Parker's masterful interpretation of the girl’s wide range of feelings. Without compromising Michelle's youthful point of view, Parker uses an edgier tone when the novel explores the gritty topics of child battering and racial prejudice. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2012]