WE LOVE YOU, CHARLIE FREEMAN

Three narrators narrate this complex novel about a black family that was asked to participate in a 1990 experiment to teach sign language to a chimpanzee. The story is told from alternating viewpoints, and the narrators' empathetic, solid performances provide clear distinctions among the perspectives and time periods. Cherise Boothe's portrayal of teenage Charlotte is infused with sass and angst, highlighting the girl's rocky adjustment to living in a research institute with an ape. In a change in timeframe to 1929, Myra Lucretia Taylor highlights a middle-aged woman's fragile pride and disillusionment after she becomes involved with one of the institute's founding researchers. The remaining sections are read by Karole Foreman, whose soothing voice offers a pleasant foil to those of the main characters. This audiobook explores issues of race, sexuality, family, and research ethics. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2016]