ORDINARY GIRLS

A gripping, gorgeous story from start to finish is brought to life by narrator Almarie Guerra. Like author Jaquira Díaz, Guerra was born in Puerto Rico and is bilingual. In a smooth, engaging voice that isn't overly theatrical, she brings a balance of spirit and restraint to her delivery of Díaz's electric memoir. The listener follows Díaz from her childhood in the projects in Puerto Rico to her adolescence in Miami Beach and observes her, by turns, loving but fraught relationships with her family members and friends, her time in juvenile detention, her stint in the Navy, and her political awakening. Díaz's mother, eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia, is a force who deeply influences the narrative. The author writes lyrical prose, and while it's slightly disappointing that she doesn't read it herself, Guerra deftly navigates both its high drama and quieter moments. S.N. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2019]