Of Thee I Sing

A somber gospel-sounding version of "Amazing Grace" sets the tone for the sobriety of Barack Obama's remembrances of 13 well-known Americans, such as Billie Holiday, Sitting Bull, and César Ch‡vez. Andre Braugher's deep, resonant narration works well to achieve the president's intention of honoring figures who contributed significantly to the world. Braugher's pacing distinguishes each biographical sketch and defines the book's call-and-response format: Obama asks his daughters a question ("Have I told you that you are creative?") and responds to each question with the biography of a corresponding American (the artist Georgia O'Keeffe, for example). Braugher's phrasing allows listeners to experience the rhythms and rhymes of the writing and the strong word choices that make the portraits vivid and the wisdom stirring. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine