KAREEM BETWEEN

Narrator Peter Romano's soft voice is at an appropriate volume for Syrian American Kareem, a middle child who feels unseen at home and at school. Kareem's deep feelings are revealed through the verses delivered by Romano. He narrates attentively with careful attention to the football idioms and metaphors that depict Kareem's passion. Romano's ability to shift between Syrian and American accents illuminates how Kareem is caught between cultures: For example, he acts with cruelty toward a recent immigrant his age while going against his own integrity to benefit an American friend. Romano's emotions deepen at the passing of Executive Order 13769, which denies Kareem's grandfather needed entry to the U.S. for medical treatment and sends his mother's home to care for him. S.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2024]