LOWER RIVER

Narrator Jefferson Mays portrays an innocuous haberdasher--once a bright-eyed Peace Corps humanitarian--who travels to the African village of Malabo, on the Lower River. Ellis Hock, formerly a blissful teacher, returns to Malabo after a painful divorce and reluctant retirement. His naïveté and its inevitable crumbling are keenly nuanced in Mays's performance. As the author portrays the villagers' lives of grinding poverty, along with instances of misused donations and village brutality, Hock eventually becomes a captive instead of an honored guest and even faces sale as a hostage. Mays eloquently delivers the voices and accents of the villagers, especially as their respect and admiration subtly, chillingly transition to tones of menace. D.P.D. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2013]