THE BARBARIAN NURSERIES

When the Torres-Thompsons' life of privilege is threatened by the economic downturn, they fire their domestic staff, keeping only Araceli, their live-in Mexican housekeeper. After a heated argument, husband and wife both decide to leave home individually, departing without telling each other or their maid. After discovering she's been left alone with the couple's two young sons—with no money, phone numbers, or instructions—Araceli must decide how best to care for the boys while avoiding deportation. Easily switching among Spanglish and its parent languages, narrator Frankie Alvarez quickly draws the listener into the cultural mix of greater Los Angeles. His expressive reading connects the listener to the emotions of this intense look at the economic divisions of contemporary America. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2011]