THE CORNER A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood

Dion Graham is about perfect in performing this gritty nonfiction audiobook. It includes the dialogue and interior thoughts of the junkies, grifters, and struggling citizens who populate the corner of the crime-ridden drug market that is the intersection of Baltimore's West Fayette and Monroe Streets. Graham does it all extremely well. He gives characters their own voices: He is convincing as an impoverished pregnant teen, a high school-aged drug dealer, and a mother trying and failing to get straight, among many others. Their lives are generally difficult, but Graham, thankfully, does not overdo the pathos. This audiobook is long (more than 25 hours) and, though there are hopeful moments, ultimately pretty bleak. Graham's excellent, empathetic narration should keep listeners engaged, even when it's hard. G.S. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2020]