The Cat I Never Named

Beginning in 1992 and spanning the years of the Bosnian War, this affecting audio memoir is unified by a central figure: the stray cat who became a guardian angel to Amra Sabic-El-Rayess and her Bosnian Muslim family amid the horror, deprivation, and dehumanization of war. Dubbed "Maci" (Bosnian for "cat"), the titular feline is a reminder that hope, however small, can be vital. Narrator Leila Buck delivers the bulk of Sabic-El-Rayess's account in a youthful, evenly paced American accent interspersed with a lilting Bosnian accent for certain names, phrases, and characters. While Sabic-El-Rayess's resilience may evoke recognition in listeners who have survived traumas of their own, Buck's narration provides emotional immediacy for teens who might not otherwise grasp how real and how recent the Bosnian War truly was. R.A.H. � AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine