CURIOUS TOYS

Listeners are taken back to 1915, to a poor neighborhood in Chicago. Through the sympathetic, versatile narration of Carol Monda we hear the voices of its multiethnic residents, and we feel the fragility of their lives. This is a historical thriller with multiple murders, violated girls, chases, and political skulduggery. Monda gives each character-- whether victim or aggressor, male or female, child or adult--a voice that is appropriate and authentic. She narrates the story in a manner that builds excitement and anticipation. A feisty girl named Pin is beset by many very real threats. Her mother is a weak, unsupportive figure working as a gypsy fortune-teller giving readings in the city's famous Riverview Park. Monda presents her as flawed but worthy of forgiveness. This story is plot driven, suspenseful, and filled with a sense of impending evil. D.L.G. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2020]