Lowcountry Spirit
Author – Ann Hite
Narrator – Allyson Johnson
Publisher – AudioGo
Source – Audiobook Jukebox
Rating - 3 Stars
Lowcountry Spirit is a historical novella set in the south off the coast of Georgia featuring several young slave girls who love their island home yet yearn for freedom.
The audio narration by Allyson Johnson was incredible and I am SO glad that I chose to listen to, rather than read, this book. Allyson's narration expertly shaped the disquieting atmosphere of the island and communicated the pain hardened strength of the characters. She pulls the listener so deeply into the story that one can almost hear the haunting sounds of the marsh and feel the muggy heat and maybe even catch a glimpse of the elusive marsh witch...
The three slave girls, Celestia, Emmaline, and Liza are tied together through shared hardship and the mystical gifts that each believe themselves to possess. Their longing for freedom can be felt through their dialog with one another and their visions and dreams. I found the eerily beautiful descriptions of the island juxtaposed with the tragic reality of their lives there to be unsettling. Hite's writing painted a vivid picture of this time & place.
While the writing was undeniably lovely and the audio narration even more so, what kept me from completely enjoying this haunting tale was that there were no clearly defined personalities for the three girls. Each of them kind of blended into the other causing me to lose the thread of the story throughout.
Ultimately, I would recommend Lowcountry Spirit to those who enjoy historical fiction set in this time period. I would HIGHLY recommend this audio and am looking forward to other narrations by Allyson Johnson.
Rating - 3 Stars
