A New Kind of Bliss

After her father's death, middle-aged divorcée Emily Yancy returns home to care for her aging mother. There she meets two men, neither a perfect match. Bettye Griffin writes about contemporary African-American women who find themselves in emotional conflict. In this case, the dilemma is love versus lust. Shari Peele is a perfect fit as Emily and her black middle-class world of anxiety and aspiration. Peele has great character range across both age and gender. Her skills give empathy to a story that could, with a lesser performer, sound tawdry and trite. The listener's ears may turn red at times, but Peele brings decorum to this story of sensitivity and passion. P.R (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine