THE LOVE MATCH

The author's note about setting her story in the Bengali community of Paterson, New Jersey, invites listeners into this story. Reena Dutt further extends that welcome with a narration that beautifully differentiates its two generations of characters. In an American accent, Dutt briskly portrays practical 18-year-old Zahara Khan, particularly the sense of family responsibility that has sent her to work instead of pursuing her dream to study creative writing. In contrast, Dutt delivers Zahara's mother's traditional views in Bengali-accented speech as she asserts her old-school values, for example, by arranging a marriage between her daughter and the son of a wealthy family. Dutt fluidly switches from one generation to the other while illuminating Zaharah's inner conflicts as she seeks her own path. S.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2023]