STRAY CITY

Natalie Moore's youthful voice is a good match for 24-year-old Andrea Morales, who--rejected by her Midwestern parents--has finally found her tribe in the lesbian community of Portland, Oregon, in the 1990s. After a bad breakup, however, Andrea impulsively seeks comfort from a male friend, and ends up pregnant. Confident in her sexual identity despite her brief affair, Andrea is unsure about motherhood and is worried about being welcomed back into the Lesbian Mafia fold. Although Moore's characterizations are engaging, listeners would benefit from more distinct voices, especially for the men. For the most part, though, Moore catches the essence of this audiobook. Her light and breezy delivery highlights the humor, and she tones down her performance when the story turns to the painful truths of being gay in America. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2018]