In World and Town, author Gish Jen takes listeners to a close-knit New England community, where retired teacher Hattie Kong is still dealing with the nearly simultaneous deaths from cancer of both her husband, Joe, and her best friend, Lee. With a reading that’s part wistfulness and part conviction, narrator Janet Song brings Hattie to life while turning out genuine and realistic voices for the minor characters in Hattie’s small town.

Hattie’s family lives out of state (or, in some cases, out of the country), so she relies on the women in her walking group and on her beloved dogs for company — until two new additions to the town throw her world out of balance. The first is a Cambodian family that escaped Pol Pot to settle on the property next to Hattie’s; the second is her ex-boyfriend, Carter Hatch, a neuroscientist who also takes over teaching duties at Hattie’s yoga class. As Hattie develops a friendship with Sophy, the teenage daughter who lives next door, she’s pulled deeper into the family’s secretive life — and as she spends more time with Carter, she’s forced to face the memories of her last months with Joe. Meanwhile, a Gilmore Girls-esque cast of small-town characters peppers the story as the residents try to fight off cell phone towers and big-box stores, deal with the break-up of one of their most established couples, and convert Sophy from Buddhist to evangelical Christian.

Most of the story is told from Hattie’s point of view, and Song’s gentle voice and kind tone are a perfect vehicle for stories about Hattie’s childhood as a half-Chinese, half-American immigrant, nostalgia for days spent with Joe and Lee, memories of her relationship with Carter, and efforts to protect Sophy and her family. But Song is equally well-equipped for chapters told from other perspectives, including Sophy’s more imprecise musings and a long section that traces the demise of a couple’s marriage from the husband’s point of view. Whether the characters are discussing immigration, terrorism, religion, love, or death, the narration brings an extra level of sincerity to a sweeping story that’s emotional and passionate. —Blythe Copeland