Before the Ever After by Jacqueline Woodson, Read by Guy Lockard
An Outstanding Performance of Woodson’s Newest Middle-Grade Audiobook
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Guy Lockard delivers an outstanding performance of Jacqueline Woodson’s brief, eloquent story of 12-year-old ZJ, whose father, a former pro football player, is suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Before the Ever After is set in the early 2000s, when little was known about the dangers of repeated head injuries in football, and listeners will follow the story of one family’s painful, slow realizations of loss. Lockard gives voice to the exhilarating before time with happy football games and fun with friends, and he compellingly shifts his tone and tempo as ZJ’s dad succumbs to the agonizing effects of this terrible condition. The novel in verse is beautifully enhanced by Lockard’s emotionally connected narration.
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