THE LEGEND OF BUDDY BUSH

It's 1942, and young Pattie Mae Sheals's Uncle Buddy has moved back to the South from Harlem. Upon his return he begins filling her imagination with tales of freedom in the North. Then he's thrown in jail because he doesn't show the subservience whites expect. Moses uses authentic syntax and language, and Cherise Boothe tells Pattie Mae's story in a compelling first-person point of view. Her accent is spot-on, and the emotions and aspirations of this girl approaching womanhood who is longing for a better life keep the listener engaged. Booth portrays Pattie Mae as a strong girl from a new generation of African-Americans whose story, one hopes, will continue in future books chronicling the birth of the Civil Rights Movement. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 05/ JAN 06]