BROTHER'S KEEPER

Narrator Cindy Kay's soft tones fit the timidity of 12-year-old Sora, whose reserve is made worse by the world around her. Kay emphasizes the harshness of Sora's mother; the preference shown to her younger brother, Youngsoo; and the oppression of life in North Korea under the Communist regime. Kay marks how Sora's resentments turn to fear as war breaks out and the family flees to South Korea. Soon the children are separated from their parents and must travel hundreds of miles alone. Kay shows Sora's growing courage as she develops resilience to avoid capture, hunger, sickness, and cold. Tender memories of her family's survival during the Japanese occupation calm her as she dreams of fighting for her own future. S.W. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2020]