SING, UNBURIED, SING

Ward's latest novel takes the heroic quest motif, adds ghost story elements, and then plunges into contemporary America's battle with poverty and addiction. There is a truth and grittiness here that narrators Kelvin Harrison, Rutina Wesley, and Chris Chalk enhance significantly with their powerful talents. Thirteen-year-old Jojo's voice is both innocent of and sadly experienced in the ways of his Mississippi home and family. His addict mother, Leonie, possesses a voice that is at once dreamy and calculating. The practical wisdom in the tone of Richie, the dead boy who contributes to this portrait, seals the listener's fate, making this audiobook impossible to silence. All in all, this excellent novel makes for exceptional listening. L.B.F. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2017]