THE WOMAN LEFT BEHIND

In one day, Jina—code name “Babe”—goes from computer geek to drone operator in a non-military special forces unit. Narrator Saskia Maarleveld presents the horror and determination Jina feels as she drags herself through basic training and fights her attraction to team leader Levi “Ace” Butcher. Maarleveld delivers Jina's low Georgia drawl and Levi’s curt commands with exquisite precision. The men on Jina's team emerge as frightening giants, speaking little and viewing her physical performance with disdain. But soon enough, Maarleveld exposes minute cracks in their stony demeanors, along with Jina’s growing affection for “her guys.” Narration and story exist in perfect synchronicity, continually daring each other to “top this.” C.A. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2018]