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Starchild  By  cover art

Starchild

By: Camille Acker
Narrated by: Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Karen Chilton
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Publisher's summary

A poignant mother-daughter story about the complex inner lives of women by the critically acclaimed author of Training School for Negro Girls.

In this evocative short piece, Candace worries that her mother, Annie, has reached an emotional breaking point. When her best friend loses her battle with cancer, Annie is acting in uncharacteristic ways, seemingly less concerned than ever about what her friends and neighbors think of her - a troubling development in her daughter’s eyes. But while Candace may think she knows her mother better than anyone, something deeper lingers beneath the surface, and times of hardship have a way of bringing us closer together than ever.

A perfect next listen for fans of Tayari Jones and Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, Starchild is a moving story from a striking literary voice.

©2021 Camille Acker (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC.

About the Creator

Camille Acker is the author of the critically acclaimed short story collection Training School for Negro Girls published by The Feminist Press in 2018. She grew up in Washington, D.C and holds a BA in English from Howard University and an MFA in Creative Writing from New Mexico State University. Her writing has received support from the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Voices of Our Nations Arts, and Millay Colony for the Arts, among others. As a creative writing teacher, she has advised and mentored students across the United States including at New Mexico State University, Tin House Writers Workshop, Chicago Writers Studio, and Blue Stoop. In 2020, she was selected for a Fulbright Scholarship. Her work has been published in The New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, Electric Literature, and is forthcoming in the anthology On Girlhood: 15 Stories From the Well-Read Black Girl Library. She lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her partner.

About the Performer

Joniece Abbott-Pratt’s numerous audiobook narrations have garnered her Earphone Awards for Tiffany D. Jackson’s Grown and Jordan Ifueko’s Raybearer, for which she also received a 2021 Audie nomination in Fantasy.
Along with a full cast, she received a SOVA for Best Voiceover Audiobook Narration for Children (Infant-12) for Garbage Pail Kids by R. L. Stein.
In addition to her work as a narrator, Joniece has worked professionally as an actor, appearing on stage and screen.
Notable stage productions include The Good Negro at the Public Theater and The House That Will Not Stand at New York Theatre Workshop. On screen she has worked on Evil, FBI: Most Wanted and Law & Order to name a few.

What listeners say about Starchild

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I loved everything about this…

The best part being her momma showing her how to really live in the small space of time we all occupy.

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1 person found this helpful

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Touching. Real and Inspired

It was an evocative short story that left me smiling and joyous. Great performances, lovely storytelling.

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Great Short!

This was a great short about loss and grief. I loved the dynamic between mother and daughter. The narration was excellent!

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6 people found this helpful

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amazing short

simply amazing. I loved the narration, the arc of the characters. the vivid descriptions. this was a beautiful story

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Excellent!

Excellent short read! Left me wanting more of the story and the main characters. Definitely recommend.

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3 people found this helpful

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Short, delightful story

The story made me think about my own mother who is also in her 70s. And I hope that she too will find whatever makes her the happiest in this life and spend the rest of her days doing just that.

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Loved it!

I am in the midst of deep grief. And i LOVE the inspiration to grieve how you need to!

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Outstanding

Loved it completely. Narration and storyline were perfect.

Great writing style.
An impressive and impactful short story. "Let Me Ride".

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Great Escape

A multi-faceted look at grief, dying, and human sexuality. Nice quick getaway. I enjoyed it!

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soul touching

Loved this unexpected life lesson. Accidental find that I now will. enjoy and share. I recommend this over and over.

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