A WOMAN OF INTELLIGENCE

Jennifer Jill Araya's narration recalls the "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" as she portrays another smart and comedic woman who rebels against societal pressures of 1954 New York. Katharina's life looks perfect: She has a Fifth Avenue address, healthy sons, and a husband who is a pediatric surgeon. She longs, though, for the variety and purpose she once had as a single woman working as a United Nations interpreter. When the FBI asks Katharina to become an informant, she accepts, but navigating Communist secrets could turn her boring life deadly. Araya smoothly transitions from accent to accent to emphasize nationalities and class; she delivers the perfectly rolled "r's'' of the French, a yodeled aristocratic "yoo-hoo," and a doctor's upper-crust diction. Squeaky kid voices and shocked tones from housewives complete the scene. A.L.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2021]