THE FARM

In this debut audiobook, women carrying surrogate pregnancies submit to constant monitoring and near total isolation at the titular farm in exchange for nine months of luxury and a hefty sum. Narrator Fran de Leon uses accents and tone to differentiate between the points of view of several characters. Some of de Leon's characterizations are more effective than others. Filipina Jane grows more desperate over the course of the novel, and her transformation is reflected in de Leon's performance. But Lisa, one of the hosts, is portrayed so boorishly that she sounds like a cartoon. Overly expressive phrasing and few odd pronunciations ("di-a-per") also distract listeners. A more nuanced performance would have better suited this exploration of the economic and emotional aspects of surrogacy, pregnancy, and parenthood. E.C. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2019]