Narrators Délé Ogundiran and Ore Apampa-Araba take turns contributing a feminine, Nigerian-accented narration to this collection of 12 short stories by Nigerian American author Pemi Aguda. Spanning various swaths of life across Lagos, the befittingly accented voicings set the scene for new mothers and fathers, a nanny, children, teenagers, and adults alike. With themes of societal issues in a bustling Nigerian metropolis, the steadily paced, contemplative performances of the narrators complement the speculative nature of the stories. Rarely wrapped up with tidy endings, the works invite reflection on contemporary Nigerian life with audio performances that help to situate the listener in time and place.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2024
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Audible, Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
These stories present extraordinary contemporary writing and create a rewarding listening experience.
Novelist Orange has selected a scintillating collection of stories that are thought provoking and well crafted. Among the many pleasures is how well the narrators have been paired with the short stories. Lee Osorio and Ines del Castillo capture the style and tone of the letter-writing father and daughter in Noel Quinones’ “This Time and the Next”; Peter Ganim inhabits the two very different narrators of Kevin Wilson’s insightful “All Stories” and William Pei Shih’s sendup of musical pretention in “The Masterclass”; Jen Zhao performs Guka Han’s haunting “Earshot” sensitively and eloquently.
These stories present extraordinary contemporary writing and create a rewarding listening experience.Pub Date: Sept. 29, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 38 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217406777
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 20, 2026
An intriguing listen, with a narrator who aptly elevates the text’s thoughtful, seductive prose.
Narrator Victoria Villarreal breathes life into Mexican author Rivera Garza’s sweeping essay collection. Blending fiction and journalism, the stories explore travel alongside topics including gender, love, capitalism, and climate change. In one story, two women travel together while feeling threatened by the dangers men can pose. Another follows college students traveling from a rural area to the complicated metropolis of Mexico City. In “The Meaning of Rain,” a woman visits Belfast, Ireland, where she believes her former lover is from, and ponders the rain that once arrived punctually in Mexico City before climate change disrupted its patterns. Villarreal’s clear voice maintains tension, and she switches effortlessly between Spanish and English and among various characters.
An intriguing listen, with a narrator who aptly elevates the text’s thoughtful, seductive prose.Pub Date: Sept. 15, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 33 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217405268
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 27, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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