Psychopomp & Circumstance

Young Phee St. Margaret belongs to a prosperous free Black family in Reconstruction-era New Charleston, yet finds herself suffocated by her mother's rigid expectations and narrow vision for her future. When her long-estranged Aunt Cleo dies, Phee seizes the opportunity to prove her independence by accepting the sacred role of pomp—the honored duty of arranging her aunt's funeral. Her solitary journey to the mysterious town of Horizon reveals far more than family secrets, as supernatural visions begin manifesting in mirrors and shadows, suggesting that death may not be the final boundary between worlds.

Bahni Turpin's masterful narration elevates Royce's Southern Gothic atmosphere through her nuanced vocal characterizations and impeccable pacing. Turpin captures both Phee's youthful determination and the weight of generational trauma with remarkable emotional depth, while her handling of period dialect feels authentic rather than performative. The audio format particularly enhances the story's eerie supernatural elements, as Turpin's skilled delivery transforms whispered secrets and ghostly encounters into genuinely unsettling experiences that linger long after the final chapter.