ALL GOD'S DANGERS The Life of Nate Shaw

This book is an absolute aural treat. It’s the transcription of an oral history told by Nate Shaw, an elderly African-American sharecropper living in the South. While the written words might be interesting, in audio they are absolutely transfixing. Sean Crisden narrates the work with just the right regional accent, cadence, and pacing. Even the ramblings seem natural. It takes several minutes to get used to the strong rural accent—such as dropped “g's,” “de” instead of “the,” and other regional pronunciations—but after that, it's like listening to a master storyteller spin the tales of his youth and adulthood. R.C.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2014]