BECOMING BEATRIZ

Author and narrator Tami Charles tells the story of Beatriz Mendez, whose dreams of becoming a professional dancer are shattered the night her brother is murdered. But when the opportunity to dance on her favorite TV show arrives, Beatriz is torn between caring for her grieving mother and her brother's gang and taking a chance on her future. Charles crafts an approachable character with an authentic performance, fluidly delivering Spanish words and phrases throughout the story. While some characters are given slight accents, little distinguishes which speaker is talking. Nonetheless, during moments when Beatriz loses herself in dance, Charles's narration gains energy and rhythm, poetically commanding the listener's attention. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2020]