This is the latest novel from Marie-Helene Bertino, the author of the acclaimed novels PARAKEET and 2 A.M. AT THE CAT’S PAJAMAS. She taught for many years in the Creative Writing programs of NYU, The New School, and Institute for American Indian Arts. She is currently the Ritvo-Slifka Writer-in-Residence at Yale University.
On September 5, 1977, just as Voyager 1 is launched into space carrying its famous golden record, a baby of unusual perception is born to a single mother, Therese Giorno, in Philadelphia. Adina Giorno is tiny and jaundiced, but she reaches for warmth and light. Adina is aware that she’s not only different, but she hails from a faraway planet in the northern constellation of Lyra. When her mother places an old fax machine in her bedroom, she discovers that she’s able to contact her extraterrestrial relatives. They inform her that they’ve sent her to Earth to report back on the oddities of humanity. For years, as she moves through the world and makes a life for herself among humans, she dispatches transmissions on the terrors and surprising joys of their existence. In early adulthood, she moves to NYC, where her closest friends are living, and continues to immerse herself in what others deem a normal human life: having a secure job, a boyfriend, and a beloved pet. But when her extraterrestrial family stops communicating, she begins to feel completely alienated and finds most of her life meaningless. Then, at a precarious moment, a beloved friend urges Adina to share her messages with the world. Soon Adina is in the spotlight, something she never imagined would happen or was wanted. As tragedy suddenly surrounds her and her ET family is seemingly gone, Adina must find a new life for herself.
This is an extremely unique and interesting story. The story is constantly moving, and sometimes the continuity seems a bit disjointed, but this is in harmony with the unorthodox nature of Adina’s life. Adina has a lot of idiosyncrasies that she is able to attribute to her otherworldliness, and this makes her a very interesting character. Despite Adina being an alien, the book still comes across as a coming-of-age story. Adina evolves from a sheltered, odd child to an independent working woman living in New York City, having several meaningful relationships and experiences along the way. As Adina’s story progresses through the 1980s and 1990s, listeners will likely feel super nostalgic about the places, clothing, and personalities that are presented. The book also covers meaningful subjects including alienation, poverty, asexuality, illness, single parenting, and overcoming loss. The many references to Carl Sagan and cosmic and astronomical events greatly enrich the story and may have you do your own online searches to discover more about these interesting topics.
Narrator Andi Arndt does a formidable job on this audiobook. She utilizes her talented voice to skillfully and completely capture the alienation, anxiety, fears, and wonder experienced by Adina. Arndt’s narration is also very well paced, and she presents the relationships in the novel with the perfect amount of emotion and drama to make them compelling and convincing. This is especially evident when she delivers the dialogue between Adina and her mother, which is full of quiet emotion and underlying love. Overall, this book is enjoyable from start to finish with its unique turns of phrase, the small platitudes of wisdom, and the endearing love between the characters. If you’re looking for an incredibly unique, touching story that will make you think outside the box, then make this one your next read or listen!