DAUGHTERS OF SMOKE AND FIRE

Vaneh Assadourian expertly narrates the first Kurdish novel in English by a female writer. She brings a light, airy voice to the character of Leila, an ambitious young woman who grapples with national politics. Listeners are swept into the dilemmas of Leila's life as she tries to gain justice for her father and help her brother, who writes against the Iranian government. Assadourian is precise and smooth in her pronunciation of the names of Kurdish places and people. Her capable delivery creates a seamless listening experience for those who might be experiencing this culture for the first time. Those who are familiar with the region and its people will welcome the narrator's expertise. Both groups will lean into the audiobook's warm embrace. M.R. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2020]