WHAT THEY FOUND Love on 145th Street

The second short story collection that Walter Dean Myers has set in 21st-century Harlem features characters introduced in 145TH STREET, along with new characters and voices. An ensemble of skilled narrators enhances these rich stories with authentic voices that express their range of ages, relationships, and neighborhood roles. JaQwan J. Kelly stands out for his capacity to make dialogue among multiple characters sound like a full cast. Heather Alicia Simms brings warmth to an account of familial love that honors both the dying and the living. Brandon Gill and Joniece Abbott-Pratt seem to become the characters whose stories they tell. Love itself on 145th Street is diverse: It includes young and careless romance, mature respect, love of art, and tough love. It's likely Myers would feel honored to hear his own love of Harlem so richly realized. F.M.R.G. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2023]