A Slave No More: Two Men Who Escaped to Freedom

If ever a book cried out for an audio version, it's this fascinating study of the lives of John Washington and Wallace Turnage. Both were sold or born into slavery, ran away repeatedly and eventually freed themselves. Although Blight, a Yale professor who specializes in the study of these rare documents, does a splendid job in setting up their stories, it is the superbly talented narrators who make listening such a richly nuanced delight. As Washington, Richard Allen (Ragtime: The Musical ) is wise and jaunty, remembering his early years with pleasure and masking his bitterness at being a slave with Mark Twain–like ironic humor. Dion Graham (from TV's The Wire ) portrays Turnage with barely restrained anger. Although both narratives apologize for their lack of education and writing skills, they add immensely to our knowledge of what it was like to be a young man growing up in a world he never made. Simultaneous release with the Harcourt hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 20). (Nov.)