UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED

Romy Nordlinger narrates Gailey's compelling story, set in a future American Southwest. A naïve woman stows away in the wagon of a group of traveling librarians and discovers a secret anti-fascist rebellion. Nordlinger often shifts her pitch unexpectedly, which can distract listeners from the narrative. But, overall, she effectively creates distinct, twangy voices for each of the librarians, all gunslinging women or nonbinary people, and the troublesome characters they meet on the trail. Listeners discover that queer people are officially targeted by the oppressive government. Esther struggles with fear of being discovered as queer and with guilt about her past. But her views change as she travels through the desert with others in loving queer relationships and as she develops feelings for Cye, the group's snarky nonbinary apprentice. E.E.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2020]