SANCTUARY

Author Paola Mendoza communicates the traumatic experiences of immigrants seeking sanctuary as she narrates her own audiobook, coauthored with Abby Sher. In this near-future dystopian novel, Valentina Gonzalez Ramirez--known as Vali--lives in a world in which immigrants are subjected to intense scrutiny and abusive state-sanctioned policies. When governmental violence against immigrants escalates, Vali's family must flee and seek refuge in California. While keeping the pace moving in this action-packed story, Mendoza poignantly communicates the migrants' selfless protectiveness of their families and wrenching grief at the tragedies they endure. Her depiction of the cruelty they encounter is heartbreaking and all-too-imaginable. While the production has some distracting volume changes and muffled sounds, listeners will still be captivated by this terrifyingly plausible story. S.A.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2020]