THE STORYTELLER

Jennifer Jill Araya narrates the first-person viewpoint of 17-year-old Jess, a practiced imposter. Araya's wry tone works well for a girl who lies to her boyfriend and who plans to go to Harvard just to make her parents happy. When Jess discovers the journals of her late great-great-aunt, she hires brainy Evan to translate the Russian diaries into English. While the contrast between Evan's honesty and Jess's duplicity is clear, Araya reflects their genuine relationship as it develops. She also transitions smoothly into portraying the story's other protagonist, the vibrant, sensitive young woman who just may be Anastasia Romanov, possibly the only member of the Russian royal family to have escaped assassination in 1918. Romance, history, and a search for identity are well balanced in this production. S.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2022]