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Sign up todayI, Juan de Pareja
Narrator
Johanna Ward
This audiobook uses AI narration.
We’re taking steps to make sure AI narration is transparent.
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Length
4 hours 44 minutes
Language
English
In the era of Rembrandt, Rubens, and Van Dyke, Spain had its own great painter—Diego Vel├ísquez. His assistant is Juan, an African slave who helps his master in his studio by preparing paints and stretching canvasses. Soon, by spending time in the studio and watching his master's technique, Juan begins to teach himself to paint too. But such work as the creation of art is forbidden to slaves. Delighted with his work but carefully guarding his secret, Juan is torn between the need to protect himself and the need to reveal his talent.
Elizabeth Borton de Treviño (1904–2000) was the highly acclaimed author of many books for young people. Born in California, it was her move to Mexico in the 1930s that inspired many of her books, including El Güero: A True Adventure Story and Leona: A Love Story. She won the Newbery Medal in 1966 for I, Juan de Pareja.
Johanna Ward (a.k.a. Kate Reading) is an Audie Award–winning narrator and has received numerous Earphones Awards from AudioFile magazine. She is also a theater actor in the Washington, DC, area and has been a member of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company since 1987. Her work onstage has been recognized by the Helen Hayes Awards Society, among others. She and her husband live in Hyattsville, Maryland, with their two children.
Reviews
“This brilliant historical novel captures and holds the attention from its rhythmic opening sentence…all the way through to the end…A splendid book, vivid, unforgettable.”
“Ward’s reading is near flawless. In clear, rich tones, she imbues the first-person story with the sense of majesty and self-possessiveness it deserves; character voices and accents are beautifully delivered.”
“The author creates a fresh and different approach to biographical fiction. The novel is also an eloquent testimonial to the bonds between races.”
“De Treviño’s masterpiece is enhanced by Ward’s glorious narration. The colorful text is presented so artistically that simply listening to all of the different voices and accents is a great pleasure.”
“The book is full of memorable scenes…Many paths of interest lead from this original, beautifully written story.”
“Ward’s rich voice and flawless Spanish pronunciations add to the quality of the story.”
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