I'LL GIVE YOU A REASON

Chanté McCormick and Torian Brackett narrate this collection, dividing the stories between them. The intensely emotional audiobook focuses on the experiences of immigrant and first-generation Americans in Newark, New Jersey, and all kinds of relationships. McCormick takes a gentle tone in her performances, subtly developing diverse character voices and going all-out on the emotive elements. She can deftly deliver phrases that haunt and provoke empathy with just a nuanced note on a syllable. Brackett, too, is a skilled narrator. Clear and well-paced, his performance is easy to listen to but flatter when it comes to the emotional elements. The collection provides thoughtful portraits of the lives of our fellow Americans, and it resonates with humanity. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2024]