Sweep

This atmospheric work of historical fiction and magical realism takes place in nineteenth-century London. Narrator Sarah Coomes creates a variety of voices for the chimney sweeps--Cockney climbing kids who are the featured characters. Listeners meet Nan Sparrow, the legendary climber; a malevolent master; a soft-spoken Jewish immigrant; a gentle chimney sweep; and Charlie--Nan's "monster." Nan's smart, lucky, and as fierce as she needs to be to survive as an indentured child laborer in the dangerous soot-filled chimneys. Mysteriously abandoned by the kindly sweep who once cared for her, she has only a small piece of char by which to remember him. Coomes's monster's squeaky voice is jarring at first, but listeners will quickly discover that it fits his kind and childlike personality. Coomes's voice and Auxier's prose combine to create an immersive experience. L.T. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine