BUNYAN AND HENRY; OR, THE BEAUTIFUL DESTINY

Ari Fliakos portrays Paul Bunyan, JD Jackson portrays John Henry, and Tanis Parenteau embodies Bright Eyes in this debut quest novel, which masterfully mixes myth, capitalism, and racism. Impoverished Paul Bunyan mines Lump, a toxic mineral that causes his wife to fall gravely ill. With a mythical creature guiding him, he races to find the one machine that could save her. In doing so, his path converges with John Henry's. Fliakos covers all of Bunyan's emotions, ranging from disbelief in myths to rage against society. Jackson conveys John Henry, whose emotions range from despair over racism to the hope of unlikely freedom. And Parenteau voices a Native American with a distrust of others yet a motherly instinct to help. The narrators combine their talents to create a compelling emotional tale, current and true. L.M.G. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2024]