SPRING

Narrator Negin Farsad steals the show in this work of historical fiction, which takes place in Egypt during the 2011 Arab Spring. Farsad delivers the third-person narrative using an American speaking voice and then drops into characters' dialogue with ease. Because of the choice to narrate in a voice that is totally different from those of the three main characters, a young Egyptian man, his Somali maid, and his mother, Farsad allows the listeners to get caught up in the story without difficulty in identifying points of view. Even when she does speak as the one American character, the voice is so different that listeners will recognize it as that of the character, not the narrative. Although the plot wanders, Farsad's narration keeps listeners engaged. A.R.F. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2020]