Fisherman's Blues

Anna Badkhen immerses herself in the rhythms of life in Joal, a fishing village in Senegal, laying bare the doubtful future for artisanal fishermen because of industrial fishing fleets that have swept up everything in their wake, leaving empty oceans. The prose is lyrical and almost mournful, and it teems with energy, but the author's narration does not pulse with the same sense of life. Badkhen interviews the fishermen and their families, goes to sea in their small boats (despite women being bad luck), and bears witness to the constant waiting for the return of fish. But her singsong cadence, slow pace, and even tone undermine the energy of the audiobook and fail to maintain the listener's attention. A.B. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine