LAND OF THE CRANES

Narrator Dani Gonzalez's youthful voice brings out the innocence and hope in Aida Salazar's poignant novel in verse. Nine-year-old Betita's world is shattered when her father, a political refugee, is deported to Mexico while Betita and her pregnant mother are imprisoned in a family detention center. Gonzalez imbues Betita's memories of her once happy family life with tenderness and warmth, transitioning to sorrowful clarity as Betita takes in the brutal conditions in which the refugees are confined. The unsparing depiction of life within the detention center may trouble younger listeners, but Gonzalez's sensitive narration emphasizes Betita's resilience in the midst of her pain. This compelling audiobook is a testament to the strength of families like Betita's, who sacrifice so much in search of a better life. S.A.H. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2020]