MOTHERLAND A Memoir

Ana Osorio's youthful voice seems an appropriate vehicle for recounting the story of a young Venezuelan reporter who experiences the personal and political upheaval that is taking place under the government of Hugo Chavez. Poignant moments occur throughout the audio; for example, Ramón imagines that a coup might rescue her from having to finish homework. Osorio's voice takes on a tone of concern as the Venezuelan economy begins to collapse and Maracaibo, Ramón's home, once the center of the booming oil industry, falters. For a time, Ramón escapes this fate by leaving the country, but Osorio's narration expresses Ramón's increasing anxiety as she watches her mother slipping further into poor health amid the total disintegration of their homeland. S.W. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2024]