LAZARETTO

The story of Sylvia, first a midwife, then a nurse, opens with the birth of Meda's baby in 1865 Philadelphia and continues through her life at Lazaretto, the quarantine island for new immigrants. Adenrele Ojo narrates with precision. Each word, every sentence is enunciated with care, drawing out the story to echo in listeners' ears. As head nurse for Lazaretto's black community, Sylvia becomes entangled in the lives of Meda's adopted sons and past lovers. Ojo delivers the scenes with exquisite tones that include dialogue in dialect. This slow-moving story is filled with music and relationships that weave in and out of the black and white, poor and rich communities of post-Civil War Philadelphia. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2016]