AMERICA IS NOT THE HEART

This is not your typical coming-of-age story. Hero De Vera arrives in America with mangled hands and a checkered family history. She's been disowned by her parents and is disoriented by her new surroundings, a plight that listeners will empathize with. Narrator Donnabella Mortel characterizes the mostly Filipino characters in this story of immigrant hopes and dreams with a punchy delivery and high energy. Hero's pluckiness is enhanced by Mortel, as are the personalities of the colorful aunts, uncles, and neighbors that make up her new community. Mortel dramatizes their roots without exploiting their status as foreigners. Her immersive performance places the listener within a multigenerational culture that is striving to make good on the American dream. M.R. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2018]