MY TRAIN LEAVES AT THREE

An earthy performance by Rae De Vine makes Natalie Guerrero's novel resonate with truth. With her dreams deferred, romance on hold, and disappointment around every corner, singer/actress Xiomara Sanchez has all but given up. She's working two jobs--one at a print/copy shop and the other as a singing waitress at a diner--when a chance encounter propels her into an audition for the lead in a Broadway production. De Vine makes Xiomara sound appropriately cautious and cynical. After a series of disturbing encounters, Xiomara's combative Washington Heights attitude emerges, making her a stronger, more centered woman. De Vine offers a rich interpretation of a Black woman who is caught between her hopes and too much reality. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2025]