The Beautiful Struggle

Vivid writing and a powerful message make this memoir exceptional and important. Coates, a contributing editor to ATLANTIC, recalls his coming-of-age on the mean streets of Baltimore during the crack era, flanked by a difficult, activist father and a charismatic, wayward elder brother. Here's an insider's look at hell, told without anger or self-pity, by one who struggled his way out of it. Choppy delivery, seeming incomprehension of the material, and humorlessness make JD Jackson's narration disappointing. At least he has a pleasant voice and good diction, so that, even while he is obscuring the sense of the text, the listener can understand the words. Surely, this special book deserves better. Y.R. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine