THE WOMEN WHO WOULDN'T LEAVE

Alison Campbell poignantly presents a rural English community whose disparate residents are fighting attempts by developers to close their social housing. Listeners join curmudgeonly Matilda, 90 years old, and Connie, age 29, who is fleeing a violent boyfriend. When hoarder Matilda collapses while feeding her menagerie of goats, cats, and chickens, Connie, who has been irritated by their noise, calls an ambulance. Campbell's delivery never misses a beat as neighbors fight to save their community, with Matilda writing letters on her manual typewriter and the others using Facebook and smartphones. Most enjoyable and memorable are Neve's Irish-accented profanity and Matilda's booming voice and reactions to social media. Audio conveys how even damaged people can help each other and the poor and powerless can challenge injustice. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2024]