THE GOOD BRAIDER

Cherise Boothe narrates this award-winning story of war, dislocation, and immigration with restrained feeling. Her soft cadence is measured so as not to overwhelm the listener but holds enough vigor to testify to the horrors experienced by Viola, the teenaged protagonist. Boothe's lilting voice captures the Sudanese background of the novel, lacing the speech of the older characters with a slight accent that makes their dialogue authentic. Her vocal dexterity brings this novel alive for the listener. At varying times gentle, angry, and sad, Boothe's narration captures the complexity of this family's journey from Sudan to Egypt to the U.S. M.R. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2014]