The Glory Field

Gr 7 Up—This moving saga of an African American family covers a span of 250 years. The book is divided into five parts, beginning with Muhammed Bilal being captured in Sierra Leone in 1753. He survives his journey on a slave ship to America. Listeners then meet Lizzie, a teenage slave on a plantation on Curry Island, SC, in 1864. Lizzie joins two other slaves in their escape to freedom. Years pass and listeners gain insights into the lives of several other teenage family members. The work's final part introduces Malcolm Lewis, who leaves New York for Curry Island to attend a family reunion. Ezra Knight narrates, and while his rich baritone is put to good use in many of the scenes featuring male characters, his female vocals are somewhat lacking. While this work may at first glance seem to be a YA version of Roots, it is a powerful story about civil rights struggles, racism, and poverty that's well worth recommending.—Sheila Acosta, San Antonio Public Library