11 Jun / Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi [in Booklist]
Nothing is quite what it seems – of course – in prodigious Helen Oyeyemi’s latest. The “starry-eyed young couple,” Otto and Xavier Shin, have committed to sharing the same last name without marrying. They’re embarking on a “non-honeymoon honeymoon” on a train trip gifted by Xavier’s aunt, with their six-year-old pet mongoose in tow. The honeymooners share The Lucky Day with its owner Ava Kapoor and her lover Allegra Yu, and quickly learn their participation is necessary to establishing – proving? – the reality of the missing – nonexistent? – Přemysl Stojaspal, whose late father’s fortune might be at stake.
Choosing audio provides a full cast (with even a rare, alphabetically ordered cast list at recording’s end) which undoubtedly clarifies and enhances the twists and turns throughout an already unreliable narrative. Ben Allen as Otto, Intae Kim as Xavier, Deana Taheri as Ava, and Rosa Escoda as Allegra command more airtime; Deepti Gupta and Jade Wheeler round out the cast as two more accessories to determining (or not) Přem’s whereabouts. The sixsome will prove themselves especially crucial in cheerfully ordering Oyeyemi’s elusive peaces.
Review: “Media,” Booklist, June 1, 2021
Readers: Adult
Published: 2021