RED OBLIVION

Janet Song's narration captures the tension in this story about Jill Lau, who returns home with her sister, Celeste, to care for their ailing father and uncovers sinister secrets about his past. Song's accents and intonations set the tone of multicultural Hong Kong, and the dialogue conveys the complicated dynamics of the protagonist's Chinese family. Jill's building anxiety as she attempts to discover who is sending threatening letters to her father is compounded by Celeste's distant and sometimes resentful feelings toward her. Song's delicate voice takes on a severe tone in the descriptions of the mistreatment of citizens during China's Cultural Revolution and Jill's father's part in it. Song's intense performance adds to the intrigue of this compelling story. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2020]