QUEEN OF KATWE The Story of Life, Chess, and One Extraordinary Girl's Dream of Becoming a Grandmaster

Teenager Phiona Mutesi, who lives in the notorious Katwe slum in Kampala, Uganda, faces many challenges in her daily life—from finding her next meal to coming up with the school fees to pay for a basic education. Despite these challenges, she begins playing chess at a local community center and rises to the ranks of the most skilled chess players in the world. Robin Miles narrates this inspirational work with a measured, deliberate voicing. She provides just a hint of an African cadence in her accents for some of the African characters but misses the opportunity to better characterize the key players. Often, the work itself sounds repetitive though that doesn’t spoil the overall message of promise and possibility in the face of hardship. S.E.G. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2013]