In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson

Shirley Temple Wong and her mother leave the familiarity of a traditional Chinese household to join Shirley's father in America. Melissa Hughes's restrained narration reflects loneliness and confusion as Shirley struggles to make sense of the completely new language and culture of Brooklyn. The story picks up as Hughes gives voice to the variety of accents that might be found in a New York immigrant neighborhood in 1947. She contrasts the gentle voices of Shirley's parents, especially when they too experience moments of deep homesickness, with the excitement and humor of Shirley and her friends as they follow rookie Jackie Robinson and their beloved Dodgers all they way to the World Series. R.H.H. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine


The year of 1947 frames this young Chinese girl's experience of leaving her clan in China and settling in Brooklyn, New York, with her parents. The journey through the eyes of this 10-year-old is made especially poignant by the warm, whimsical reading of Christina Moore. Her light voice is perfectly suited to a young girl's but also can stretch from that of a toddler to that of a Chinese patriarch. Her accents-- Chinese, Spanish, Brooklyn--are as pleasing to the ear as the lyrical language used in the story. This story about growing up, about cultural extremes, about heroes, baseball and the American dream will bring the listener to laughter and tears on every tape. J.J.F. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine