STRANGE PILGRIMS

Two narrators guide listeners through 12 tales of transplanted Latinx protagonists in this worthwhile audiobook by Gabriel García Márquez. In this 2009 short story collection, European locations like Vienna, Barcelona, and Rome become backdrops for tales spun from immigration and estrangement. The stories, written during the 1970s and ‘80s, feature heroes ranging from a would-be saint to a deposed dictator. Narrator Frankie Corzo’s voice is often termed “velvety.” Her performance embodies García Márquez's view of mystery existing within seemingly ordinary circumstances. Although Christopher Salazar’s youthful delivery isn’t commensurate with the lush scenes García Márquez paints, his clarity compensates, and his Spanish is seamless. For veteran García Márquez readers, this collection delights as it reminds listeners that being a stranger in a strange land is far less geographic than psychic. J.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2021]