THE WOMAN WITH THE BLUE STAR

Set in WWII-era Poland, this audiobook tells the parallel stories of two young women, Sadie and Ella. The war has hit each of them hard: Sadie is forced into the sewer to avoid Nazi persecution, and Ella is struggling to adapt to life with her cruel, Nazi-sympathizing stepmother. When their paths cross, Sadie's and Ella's lives change forever. Three narrators--Jennifer Jill Araya, Emily Lawrence, and Nancy Peterson--present the plot reliably; the biggest distraction here is its delivery. The story, flawed in some parts and inconsistent in others, contains all the drama necessary to engage listeners, but the narrators overemote. Their overwrought performances, combined with the other frustrations, do not create a rewarding experience. L.B.F. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2021]