If Beale Street Could Talk

James Baldwin convincingly writes from the perspective of a teenaged girl, and narrator Bahni Turpin's delivery heightens the raw power of his storytelling. Portraying the anguish and transcendence of adolescent love, Turpin brings 19-year-old Tish to life, capturing all her pain and hope with edginess and unflagging energy. In actuality, Turpin offers two distinctly separate performances--that of the story's narrator and that of the protagonist. Although both roles are tied together through Baldwin's use of first-person narration, Turpin differentiates between the narrative and the character's dialogue and actions through a masterful variety of tones and inflections. The result lifts Tish from the static page and brings her into the room. N.J.B. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine