SUMMER FUN

On one level, this remarkable audiobook focuses on Gala, a trans woman who is looking for meaning in contemporary New Mexico. Deeper focus, however, is given to Gala's quasi-biographical fan letters to (and about) B--, the genius behind 1960s surf band the Get Happies. Intensity mounts as Gala's and B--'s experiences of gender and displacement overlap, and author Jeanne Thornton's narration keeps pace. Ably carrying off passages rife with metaphor, mysticism, or trauma, she ensures that listeners remain spellbound. Conversational and sardonic during the sections featuring Gala, Thornton softens into breathy naïveté for B--'s dialogue, imbuing every "gee" with heartbreaking earnestness. A haunting and memorable audiobook. R.A.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2021]