When Kambia Elaine Flew in from Neptune

From the opening strains of blues guitar on this recording, listeners will feel transported to some place southern, ready to hear a tale with its share of painful moments. They won't be disappointed. Twelve-year-old Shayla narrates this contemporary story of lives spun out of control by difficult circumstances. Shayla longs to be a writer, but lately her life is offering more drama than she ever imagined she would be getting down on paper. Her family is stretched to its breaking point when Tia, Shayla's older sister, becomes sexually active, sending her frightened mother into a rage. Things are tense and lonely for Shayla after Shayla is kicked out of the house. But soon a neighbor and classmate, Kambia Elaine, fills in all the gray spots with eerie color. Unfortunately, Kambia Elaine's fantastic stories, worn-out clothes and frail appearance hide a dark secret about serious problems that Shayla is not sure she can fix. And Shayla's not sure that Mama and Tia will ever see eye-to-eye, either. Simms nimbly becomes each vivid character here, capturing all the shades of Williams's lyrical text. Moving from Mama's fear and anger to Shayla's soulful tenderness and Kambia Elaine's otherworldly ways, this is a robust performance. Ages 12-up. (Jan)