GRACE, by Natashia Deon, read by Lisa Renee Pitts

Literature -- 5 stars
Audiobook Narration -- 5 stars


Book: A captivating, well paced story that follows the years before and immediately after the Civil War; but it is not just another tale of plantations and slave quarters. The story, which jumps back and forth between time periods, begins in 1840 when a runaway slave named Naomi finds refuge of a sort in a Georgia brothel where she is protected by Cynthia, a Jewish madam. Falling under the spell of a smooth talking, and white, piano-man, Naomi is soon pregnant and alone.   Her daughter, Josey, blonde and light-skinned, is taken in by a free slave after Naomi is killed, but that doesn't stop her spirit from staying on the scene to protect her little girl at all costs. -----  The subject matter is frank and brutal, the characters are complex and fully realized.  A story and people to care about.

Narration:  One of my pet peeves about female readers is their habit of trying to lower their pitch for male characters (a phony and irritating crutch) and/or raising the pitch for female characters (until all the women sound like Munchkins).  Ms. Pitts avoided these pitfalls without sacrificing the individuality of each voice, keeping her characterizations clear, clean and relatable.  It was a pleasure to enjoy her work.