THE KISSING BUG A True Story of a Family, an Insect, and a Nations Neglect of a Deadly Disease

Biting insects and intrepid parasites populate this memoir of a misunderstood illness and a family. Narrator Frankie Corzo's deft voice brings Daisy Hernandez's story full circle from childhood to adulthood and then to a poignant blend of both. Hernandez was 5 when her Aunt Dora moved from Colombia to New Jersey to seek care for a parasitic illness called Chagas, transmitted by the insect Triatominae. Corzo's capable narration of Hernandez's research on the disease helps the listener better understand risk factors, transmission rates, and symptoms as part of the larger problem of healthcare inequity in the U.S. Additionally, Corzo's blend of American and Latinx dialects perfectly conveys Hernandez's bittersweet realization at the book's end: She and her seemingly old-fashioned aunt were more alike than different. E.S.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2021]