FORGET ME NOT

Natalie Naudus captures Stevie's playfulness and passion toward her secret girlfriend, Nora. The pair are excited about their plan to leave their homophobic Pennsylvania community to find acceptance in California. But an accident robs Stevie of two years of memory, including her feelings for Stevie and her sexuality. Naudus embraces Stevie's confusion and desperate need to fill in the voids. She depicts Nora's constancy before the accident and afterward reads Nora's unsent letters to Stevie with sorrow. The distant tone she gives to Stevie's conservative mother reflects the mystery that Stevie can't understand. At the end, Naudus's tender narration works well as Stevie rekindles her relationship with Nora, recalls her sexual orientation, and reconciles with her parents. S.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2023]