NEVER FORGOTTEN

Narrator Lizan Mitchell brings a graceful rhythm and lyrical lilt to this story poem about an African father, Dinga, a blacksmith, and his beloved son, Musafa. When Musafa is taken by slave traders, each of the Mother Elements who have helped to raise Musafa--Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind--attempts to locate him and offer some solace for Dinga's misery. Mitchell's voice is complex--rich yet gentle. She sounds playful and animated as young Musafa and the Mother Elements share time together. In the poignant moments, she varies her pacing and inflection, especially when the Mother Elements tell what they saw when they searched for their "beloved son." Mitchell's trailing-off phrases and long silences underscore the theme of the love and loss that families endure. A.R. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2013]