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The Door of No Return Audiobook
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Publisher Description
From the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award winning author Kwame Alexander, comes the first book in a searing, breathtaking trilogy that tells the story of a boy, a village, and the epic odyssey of an African family.
In his village in Upper Kwanta, 11-year-old Kofi loves his family, playing oware with his grandfather and swimming in the river Offin. He’s warned though, to never go to the river at night. His brother tells him ”There are things about the water you do not know. “ Like what? Kofi asks. “The beasts.” His brother answers.
One fateful night, the unthinkable happens and in a flash, Kofi’s world turns upside down. Kofi soon ends up in a fight for his life and what happens next will send him on a harrowing journey across land and sea, and away from everything he loves.
This spellbinding novel by the author of The Crossover and Booked will take you on an unforgettable adventure that will open your eyes and break your heart.
The Door of No Return is an excellent choice for independent reading, sharing in the classroom, book groups, and homeschooling.
An instant #1 New York Times Bestseller!
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"Kwame Alexander's story, The Door of No Return, humanizes the experience of the people who knew the flavors of freedom long before they knew the sting of slavery. Alexander lures you in and endears you to Kofi and his world in a way that has you fully invested in time and place. Alexander seems to trust the heaviness of history to hold its own, and so he is able to tell a story with such a lightness of foot which only further emphasizes that weight of history that is undeniable and irrevocable. His writing is at once vivid and simple, lyrical and surgical, expressive and exacting, comforting and cutting. It hypnotizes and sobers, hypnotizes and sobers, in a rhythm as timeless as the talking drum that carries the tales of his people: Kum-PUM PUM! Kum-PUM PUM! I wish this book existed alongside Huckleberry Finn when I was in school. I am glad it exists now!"
— Lupita Nyong’o, Actress and Author
Quotes
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“Though fictionalized, this important story of a young boy is rooted very much in history…A must-read for all ages.”
— Barnes&Noble.com -
“This gritty and compelling novel of Kofi’s life should be included in all library collections that serve young readers.”
— School Library Journal -
“Conjures a captivating, resonant world of African tradition, life, and ancestral wisdom.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“An unforgettable journey to be treasured and shared across generations.”
— Rick Riordan, New York Times bestselling author -
Absolutely spellbinding: Kwame Alexander weaves together storytelling, poetry, music and history like no one else can. An unforgettable journey to be treasured and shared across generations.
— Rick Riordan, New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series -
Alexander turns the nightmare of the past into an epic story for all times and all people. The Door of No Return is a breathtaking, heartbreaking triumph and an instant classic.
— Lev Grossman, New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians
Awards
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Finalist for the Audie Award for Best Narration in Middle-Grade Novels
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A Barnes & Noble Best Book of the Year
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An Amazon.com Best Books of the Year
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About Kwame Alexander
Kwame Alexander is a poet, speaker, educator, and bestselling author of more than a dozen books, including The Crossover, which received the 2015 John Newbery Medal for the Most Distinguished Contribution to American Literature for Children. His other works include the novels He Said, She Said and Booked, as well as his nonfiction debut, The Playbook: 52 Rules to Aim, Shoot, and Score in This Game Called Life. He is the cofounder of LEAP for Ghana, an international literacy program.
About Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith is a Ghanaian-born British actor who has appeared on stage, screen, and television. A graduate of the Guildford School of Acting, he won a Manchester Evening News Theatre Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.