NO ORDINARY ASSIGNMENT A Memoir

Jane Ferguson narrates her memoir in a melodic Northern Irish brogue that has been softened by time and intention. With 15 years of reporting experience, she has a confident tone. The violence that spilled into Ferguson's childhood came from her verbally abusive mother, her manipulative father, and the actions of the Irish Republican Army. Her familiarity with fear and her desire to travel led to her becoming a war correspondent. She worked mostly independently, reporting from Yemen, Syria, Dubai, Kabul, and Beirut. Ferguson's audiobook illuminates tragedies while also showing that misery is unsustainable to the human spirit. She talks faster and more loudly when she excitedly realizes she can read Arabic. That joy contrasts with her soft voice breaking with anguish over death and hardship. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2023]