ALL THE LITTLE HOPES

Kate Forbes narrates this tender coming-of-age story set in North Carolina's tobacco country. When tragedy brings 13-year-old Allie Bert to the home of her unstable aunt, she finds a true friend in Lucy, who aspires to be fearless like her heroine, Nancy Drew. Together, the pair face family worries, mysterious disappearances, and the opening of a Nazi POW camp in their own backyard. Forbes does a beautiful job rendering the soft tones of a North Carolina accent. But Allie and Lucy don't have much differentiation despite being from different areas and having different backgrounds. Nonetheless, Forbes imbues them both with a delightful mix of innocence, curiosity, and high-spirited independence. N.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2021]