MAKEDA

You wouldn't think a law professor would tell a story full of imagination from the perspective of a boy. But Randall Robinson is taking a new angle on his favorite nonfiction subject: the African-American experience in modern society. Kevin R. Free brings this melodic exploration of coming-of-age straight to the listener's ear in an honest, friendly narrative style. The conversational tone of Free's narrative and dialogue helps connect listeners to the protagonists, Makeda, a blind woman, and her grandson, Gray, and catch them up in what happens next. He provides touches of Southern accents, which he capably manages by sidestepping stereotypes. He also gives life to female characters as masterfully as he does males. M.R. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2012]