THE FORTUNES OF JADED WOMEN

Narrator Vyvy Nguyen offers up a lively rendition of this multigenerational saga of contemporary Vietnamese American women. Depicting a cast of more than 14 characters, Nguyen delivers a variety of personalities and voices. She engages listeners in the characters' humorously messy lives and complicated family dynamics as they try to find a way to lift a curse placed on their family long ago. However, the story's fast pace conveyed in short scenes and the sheer number of characters create a challenging listen without an accessible copy of the family tree. Nonetheless, Nguyen's performance enhances the cultural richness of the writing as she delivers Vietnamese phrases smoothly throughout. Overall, an upbeat and heartfelt listen with some over-the-top moments. V.T.M. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2022]