JUNIE

Narrator Angel Pean's stand-out performance is essential here. Her storytelling skill is consistently riveting, fully embodying these characters and the detailed and occasionally magical world they inhabit. Junie, an enslaved girl in 1800s Alabama, lives with the loss of her sister, Minnie, whose death is a weight on her conscience. Her days of servitude include companionship with Violet, her enslaver's daughter, with whom she shares opinions on literature. An encounter with Minnie's ghost changes Junie's life, opening a new path that could include escaping her captors. The Civil War breaks out, threatening Junie's mission, as does Violet's dangerous suitor. Listeners experience a different kind of historical drama. Pean's skillful delivery fully embodies the setting, and the rich listening experience envelopes listeners in the powerful story. S.P.C. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2025]