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Wade in the Water

By: Nyani Nkrumah
Narrated by: Eboni Flowers, Teri Schnaubelt
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Publisher's summary

“An impressive debut. Emotionally honest with lyricism and charm to spare, Nyani Nkrumah’s Wade in the Water depicts in riveting detail a racially charged Mississippi town, the secrets it holds, and the precious heart and soul of a young girl deserving love.”—Diane McKinney-Whetstone, author of Our Gen and Tumbling

“Fearless. . . . Vividly bring[s] to life rural 1980s Mississippi.”—People

“A dreamy, brutal, and revelatory reading experience that quickens the pulse and tugs the heart.”—Diane McWhorter, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning Carry Me Home

Resonant with the emotional urgency of Alice Walker’s classic Meridian and the poignant charm of Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees, a gripping debut novel of female power and vulnerability, race, and class that explores the unlikely friendship between a precocious Black girl and a mysterious white woman in a small Mississippi town in the early 1980s.

Set in 1982, in rural, racially divided Ricksville, Mississippi Wade in the Water tells the story of Ella, a Black, unloved, precocious eleven-year-old, and Ms. St. James, a mysterious white woman from Princeton who appears in Ella’s community to carry out some research. Soon, Ms. St. James befriends Ella, who is willing to risk everything to keep her new friend in a town that does not want her there. The relationship between Ella and Ms. St. James, at times loving and funny and other times tense and cautious, becomes more fraught and complex as Ella unwittingly pushes at Ms. St. James’s carefully constructed boundaries that guard a complicated past, and dangerous secrets that could have devastating consequences.

Told in two voices, Ella’s and Ms. St. James’s, and set around richly developed characters, this riveting, compelling coming of age story will keep listeners entranced until the last shocking revelation.

©2023 Nyaneba Nkrumah (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers
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What listeners say about Wade in the Water

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Unpredictable

The story is told from different view points. This allowed me to connect with all the characters even if I a didn’t want to.

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12 people found this helpful

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Well Done

It’s a tough story to listen to, but the narration makes it real. Excellent writing and perfect voice for the setting and the content of the story.

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New insights for me

as a Caucasian American, I realize how profoundly ignorant I am about the Black experience in this country. This book gave me many new insights as to what my Black brothers and sisters have experienced and continue to experience. Thank you!

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As a Mississippian this Nobel blew me away

The narrators did an amazing job - this story will stay with me a long time! Highly highly recommended!

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excellent

A masterfully told story. Engaging character development with thought provoking truth. A true must read.

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Unexpected

This book was based on religious undertones for the entire book that needed to be stated to the reader. There is also references to the Klu Klux Clan .

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Engaging story

Really enjoyed the 2 narrators and the way the story unfolded from 2 different points of view with an unexpected twist at the end.

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14 people found this helpful

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Left me wanting more!

I truly loved this book. The narration was top-notch! I highly recommend it without hesitation. I would love to see the story continue. There is so much that is still left to tell.

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Great

Heartwarming and heartbreaking. A very good engaging book. The two readers were very good. Made the book even better. 💕

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Excellent story!

Enjoyed the entire journey of this young miss, from beginning to end! Narration excellent as well!

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