EVERY BONE A PRAYER

Eileen Stevens narrates this novel in a practical tone that is a well-balanced choice, given its disparate themes of mysticism and violence. Ten-year-old Misty lives with her mother and teenage sister in a ramshackle trailer in an Appalachian holler. Stevens serenely describes Misty's supernatural connection to nature--the crawdads, the trees, the deer. The first time Misty is sexually assaulted by her neighbor, Stevens's hesitant narration reflects her confusion. As the rapes continue, a strange glass statue grows in the yard, and Stevens employs a slightly eerie voice when the garden itself begins talking to Misty. This is not an easy story to digest, but it's one worth experiencing. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2020]