LITTLE FISH

A. Almeida narrates the story of Wendy, a 30-year-old woman who is navigating the ups and downs of being transgender. As she deals with the challenges of how people respond to her, she discovers that her Mennonite grandfather also may have been transgender. Almeida brings a youthful dryness to her narration. And it works. The characters have similar-sounding voices--mostly monotone with a little variation in pitch to differentiate Wendy's circle of friends and foes. This dry monotone shapes the story, conveying some dark emotions. Masking and hidden feelings are part of this raw in-your-face novel, and Almeida does well in conveying them. T.E.C. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2020]