THE WORDS THAT REMAIN

André Santana narrates this Brazilian import translated from Portuguese. The narrative switches from the present day, when elderly Raimundo is learning to read, to his past, when as a young, gay man he experienced homophobic violence from his father. As the story unfolds, the cycle of queer trauma in Raimundo's family is made clear. Unfortunately, Raimundo's trauma and internalized homophobia lead him to behave violently towards the queer people he encounters. Raimundo's shame is ably portrayed by Santana, whose deep, emotional voice breaks in particularly difficult scenes--of which there are many. Though this is not a novel-in-verse, Santana performs with a poetic cadence. A heavy audiobook, not for the faint of heart. S.P. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2024]