IN THE COUNTRY Stories

Using two narrators for this collection gives these short stories vocal variety as they alternate between female and male characters. Nancy Wu and Don Castro recount the trials and tribulations of expatriate Filipinos who are returning home to their impoverished families. The narrators' voices are husky with the emotion of first-person ruminations. The listener will be drawn into the complexity of lives that balance poverty and luxury. Both narrators are subdued, almost quiet; this listener's attention might have wandered if the characters were not so compelling. Abusive fathers, mentally challenged children, grinding poverty--all of these dark topics come together in this wide range of short stories. M.R. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2015]