THE WONDROUS WOO

Listeners are introduced to Miramar Woo, the eldest of three siblings whose family immigrated to Toronto in the 1970s. After the death of her beloved father, Miramar feels alone even in the presence of the rest of her family. Instead of leaving for university, she finds herself in the shadow of her brother, sister, and mother, who has had a mental breakdown. A slight sibilance in Lisa Truong's narration gives Miramar's voice a youthful quality. The story mentions that the entire Woo family are native speakers of Cantonese; their origins are reflected in believable Chinese accents. The occasional mispronunciation of an advanced word in English lends authenticity to Miramar as an English language learner. E.J.F. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2022]