Rikers: An Oral History by Graham Rayman, Reuven Blau
Read by Nathan Agin, Jonathan Beville, Nancy Bober, Gisela Chipe, Nicky Endres, James Fouhey, Philip Hernandez, Cary Hite, Eric Jason Martin, Kamali Minter, Karen Murray, Jose T. Nateras, Kiiri Sandy | AudioFile Earphones Award
[Random House Audio | 15.5 hrs.]
Using multiple narrators to perform this disturbing audiobook was a masterful decision. The voices carry several different accents, tempos, tones, and even attitudes that reflect the diversity of those incarcerated or working on Rikers Island, a hellhole that is New York’s largest and best-known jail. The narrators are all first-rate as they recount stories of arrest, casual cruelty, simple kindness, extraordinary brutality, exploitation, and fear. The multiple narrators allow the stories to flow into each other while still separating both the individuals and their experiences. An engrossing look at the carceral state and the people within it.
Read the review on AudioFile’s website.
