THE STARTUP WIFE

Narrator Tanha Dil performs this audiobook, which explores a marriage, a social media start-up, friendship, and alternative spiritual practices. When doctoral student Asha crosses paths with Cyrus, her high school crush, sparks fly, and the two, along with their wealthy friend, launch WAI, an app that helps people create the perfect ritual for every life milestone. Dil's repetitive cadence and unexpected pauses detract from the overall story of Asha's growing realization that no matter how unique her vision and how brilliant her coding skills, she will still face gender and cultural bias. In addition, listeners may find it difficult to identify characters during dialogue-heavy scenes. The audiobook ends with an informative conversation between narrator Dil and author Anam, who discuss the story's themes. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2021]