Publisher Description
Bestselling and award-winning author, Sharon G. Flake, delivers a mystery set in the 1950s that eerily blends history, race, culture, and family.
Octobia May is girl filled with questions. Her heart condition makes her special - and, some folks would argue, gives this ten-year-old powers that make her a "wise soul." Thank goodness for Auntie, who convinces Octobia's parents to let her live in her boarding house that is filled with old folks. That's when trouble, and excitement, and wonder begin. Auntie is non-traditional. She's unmarried and has plans to purchase other boarding homes and hotels. At a time when children, and especially girls, are "seen, not heard," Auntie allows Octobia May the freedom and expression of an adult. When Octobia starts to question the folks in her world, an adventure and a mystery unfold that beg some troubling questions: Who is black and who is "passing" for white? What happens when a vibrant African American community must face its own racism?And, perhaps most important: Do vampires really exist? In her most unusual and probing novel yet, Sharon G. Flake takes us on a heart-pumping journey Download and start listening now!
“Narrator
Bahni Turpin perfectly captures ten-year-old Octobia May…Turpin portrays each of the personable boarders, skillfully re-creating
men and women—Jewish, black, and white—as independent and distinct
individuals…Officer O’Malley is Turpin’s standout character—his
accent and personality are pure Irish-American cop! In addition to enjoying an
exciting mystery, young listeners will learn about 1950s America. Winner
of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
—
AudioFile
About Sharon G. Flake
Sharon Flake is
the author of the award-winning novel, The
Skin I’m In, which was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start. Since then
she has become a multiple Coretta Scott King Award–winner and has
been hailed as the voice of middle-grade youth by the
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. Many of her novels have
received Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults citations from the
American Library Association. Her writing has been applauded for its on-point
narrative that explores issues affecting teens from all walks of life. She
lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
About Bahni Turpin
Bahni Turpin, winner of numerous AudioFile Earphones Awards and several prestigious Audie Awards for her narrations, was named a “Golden Voice” by AudioFile magazine in 2019. Publishers Weekly magazine named her Narrator of the Year for 2016. She is an ensemble member of the Cornerstone Theater Company in Los Angeles. She has guest starred in many television series, including NYPD Blue, Law & Order, Six Feet Under, Cold Case, What about Brian, and The Comeback. Film credits include Brokedown Palace, Crossroads, and Daughters of the Dust. She is also a member of the recording cast of The Help, which won numerous awards.