WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD

Listeners will be captivated from the first sentence spoken by 9-year-old Starla Claudelle. It’s true that Amy Rubinate should get the credit for the narration, but it’s so perfect and seamless that the listener is only aware of Starla. In 1963 Mississippi, Starla runs away from her Mamie’s house to escape punishment and decides to search for her mother, who’s off in Nashville “getting famous.” On the road, Starla gets picked up by Eula, a black woman who has just taken an abandoned white baby from the steps of a church. Rubinate captures every emotion as Starla faces extreme danger, racism, and heartbreak during her travels with Eula. Rubinate is perfect with every voice, telling a story that paints a vivid picture of America’s past, both bad and good. M.M.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2013]