LISTEN, SLOWLY

A look at culture and family is expertly narrated by Lulu Lam. When Mai is sent to Vietnam for the summer with her grandmother, the California girl is upset to be missing out on beaches, bikinis, and boys. But as the summer progresses, she learns to accept others and learns more about herself as well. Lam convincingly portrays Mai's selfishness and spoiled personality and slowly changes the tone of her narration as Mai changes throughout the novel. The audio suggests the Vietnamese language with accents and nuances in pronunciation, making for a rich experience for the listener. S.B.T. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2015]