Ill Give You a Reason, Annell Lopez
Ill Give You a Reason, Annell Lopez
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I'll Give You a Reason

Author: Annell López

Narrator: Chanté McCormick, Torian Brackett

Unabridged: 6 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 04/09/2024


Synopsis

The vibrant stories in I’ll Give You a Reason explore race, identity, connection, and belonging in the Ironbound, an immigrant neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey. A young widow goes on her first date since her husband’s death and finds herself hunting a bear in the woods with a near stranger. An unhappy wife compares her mother’s love spells and rituals to her own efforts to repair her strained marriage. A self-conscious college student discovers a porn star who shares her name and becomes obsessed with her doppelgänger’s freedom and comfort with her own body.

Annell López’s indelible characters tread the waters of political unrest, sexuality, religion, body image, Blackness, colorism, and gentrification—searching for their identities and a sliver of joy and intimacy. Through each story, a nuanced portrait of the “American Dream” emerges, uplifting the voices of those on its margins.

About Annell López

Annell López is a Dominican immigrant. A 2022 Peter Taylor fellow, her work has received support from Tin House and the Kenyon Review Workshops and has appeared in American Short Fiction, Michigan Quarterly Review, Brooklyn Rail, and elsewhere. López is an Assistant Fiction Editor for New Orleans Review and just finished her MFA at the University of New Orleans. She is working on a novel.

About Chanté McCormick

Chanté McCormic is an Audie and Earphones award-winning narrator. A proud member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity Association, she holds a bachelor of science in speech from the prestigious theatre department at Northwestern University.

About Torian Brackett

Torian Brackett is a theatre-trained, New York-based voiceover actor who has lent his talents to audiobooks, video games, and audio dramas.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Lupita on December 14, 2023

There’s a sharp and captivating voice throughout each story and character navigating identity, gentrification, colorism, and much more through the immigrant lens. This unique voice echoes the type of storytelling that captivated me in my youth and which made me long for more of its kind. I can't wait......more

Goodreads review by Jamie on January 11, 2024

As a reader, the last page of each of Annell López’s stories left me taking a small gasp, eyes widening. It may only be January, but this short story collection, I’ll Give You A Reason, will be a stand out of the year for and many others. These stories are playful, gritty, delightfully weird, startl......more

Goodreads review by Allan on April 16, 2024

Though I only spent six years in the Ironbound, Annell Lopez’s story collection makes me feel like I’ve spent multiple lifetimes there. It only takes a few sentences for each character to come alive. An excellent read for those with and without connections to the great city of Newark, New Jersey. Hi......more

Goodreads review by Elisa on May 22, 2024

A great collection of evocative, engrossing stories set in gritty yet beautiful neighborhoods. Lopez' reverence for these people rests easily alongside her clear-eyed depiction of their lives--sometimes heart-breaking, sometimes triumphant. Intelligent, literary prose and memorable characters, plus......more

Goodreads review by D'Linda on September 20, 2024

4.5⭐️ So good!!!! Oh my gosh! So many wonderful stories to connect to. It’s rare when you can find a short story collection where more than half of the stories just do something for you, and this surpassed my expectations!!......more


Quotes

Heartfelt stories of a city and the people within it, lovingly pieced together.