HOW BEAUTIFUL WE WERE

An all-star cast of narrators lends their voices to the telling of Imbolo Mbue's much-anticipated second novel, which recounts the devastation wrought by American oil on a small African village. A chorus of voices details the tragic consequences when oil giant Pexton starts work near the sleepy village of Kosawa. As the land and water are poisoned and the children sicken and die, the villagers decide to fight back, aware that they are hopelessly outmatched but still determined to speak out. Each narrator tells the story from a different perspective--some angry, some naïve, some weary--all contributing to a powerful, multifaceted performance. Listeners will be heartbroken but roused by the villagers' collective ferocity, bravery, and, above all, their enduring hope that one day justice will prevail. S.A.H. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2021]