Bernarda's Daughters

By: Diane Exavier

Narrated by: Amara Brady, Jasmin Walker, Lorraine Toussaint, Malika Samuel, MaYaa Boateng, Zenzi Williams

It’s a sweltering summer in Flatbush. In a neighborhood overrun by wrecking crews and new construction, the five Abellard sisters take refuge in their family home. In spite of their jovial, teasing conversations, the sisters are mourning the death of their father and the changing neighborhood. Each of them is also confronting personal losses of their youth and their dreams for the future. Inspired by the classic play House of Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca, but bracingly contemporary, Bernarda’s Daughters confronts issues of class, race, gentrification, and where a woman’s place is in a rapidly changing world. Drenched in sparkling, witty dialog, Bernarda’s Daughters is a thrilling, engrossing exploration of a family at a crossroads.

Creative Producer: The New Group

Portions of this audiobook contain mature language. Listener discretion is advised.

©2021 Diane Exavier (P)2021 AO Media LLC

A deeply moving elegy

wonderfully acted, powerfully directed, brilliantly written. if you have half a chance see/hear this, don't hesitate, seek it out.

Sisterhood at its finest.

What else are you supposed to do when your father passes away and your mother takes him back to Haiti to bury him? When you find out that your father had a lot more secrets than you realized?
The harsh realities we sometimes blind ourselves too always catch up with us eventually. We know our parents aren’t perfect. We know they have flaws. To know they aren’t what we thought they were, makes it hard to accept the things they’ve done. But it isn’t on us to carry that burden. It’s up to us to change it - change the cycle. And we have that freedom to do so.

Lifts injustices

Not entertaining, it’s more a social statement for deep thought and discussion. At this point in my life I enjoy more mystery and entertainment. I would of loved this in college or graduate school or in my thirties

A Taste of Brooklyn and Haiti

As I listened to this incredible play, Bernarda’s Daughters, it felt like I was having a conversation with my family members on a house stoop on a summer Brooklyn day. The references of East Flatbush, Caribbean expectations, and gentrification really brought light to the complexities of changing Brooklyn. What a refreshing listen it was!

Captivating

The performances were so passionate and really brought you to the place where the story brought you to. The desperation of just trying to survive and the things the mind becomes acceptable of are scary and true.

Read this, then House of Bernarda Alba

This audio play is based on one of the greatest stage dramas, focused on the story of family, generational trauma, and so much more. This absolutely updates the story beyond anything I could comprehend. Yes, it's about a family of BIPOC women and the world they live in, the terrifying decisions they must make every day.
If you think, "I don't see race", listen to this, see where you relate to the story, and remember how the human condition can be universal-- and then notice that these characters deal with issues you have privilege to know little about. Enjoy it and Grow from it. If you think "Too much racism, too much bigotry," this play is a mirror-- find yourself in it, and act accordingly.

Makes You Think

Loved it! Emotionally deep and very well narrated. Will definitely listen to it again. Adding to my favorites.

Good story

This story delves into the lives of sisters in a neighborhood that is crumbling around them, all while trying to find their place in this new world.

Depressing & Disjointed

Hard to follow this. It was sort of snippets of a family's life after the father's death but interspersed with a random monologue about wanting sex when it's hot. overall the plight of these sisters was seriously depressing.

Sorry. What a culture

These people are wieners and complainers. Their own family sold their home from under them and they angry at other people. It’s pathetic.