STARRED REVIEW
April 2022

African Town

By Charles Waters & Irene Latham, narrated by a full cast
Review by
African Town is an emotionally complex, searingly honest and extremely rewarding experience for listeners of all ages.
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In African Town (7 hours), co-authors Charles Waters and Irene Latham use a series of first-person narrative poems to tell the story of the Clotilda—the last American slave ship—and to reveal the fates of the enslaved passengers and their captors.

Each character’s perspective unfolds in a particular poetic structure that reflects their personality, and the audiobook cast members incorporate the cadence of these poems into their performances without ever sounding forced or contrived. Consequently, the listener experiences not only an epic story of terror, grief and heroism but also the unique humanity of each character, including the Clotilda—a ship that is infinitely more humane than her masters.

The accompanying downloadable PDF is packed with valuable information, including a glossary, timeline and additional information about the characters. African Town is an emotionally complex, searingly honest and extremely rewarding experience for teen and adult listeners alike.

Irene Latham and Charles Waters discuss ‘African Town,’ their novel in verse about the last group of Africans brought to America and enslaved.

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African Town

African Town

By Charles Waters & Irene Latham, narrated by a full cast
Listening Library
ISBN 9780593503171

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