Bad Land

Chong (Belinda’s Rings) delivers a strong sophomore novel exploring the power of familial connections, the corrosive effect of secrets on family relationships, and how hidden truths and distance take a toll on the bonds between siblings. Regina, who lives alone in her run-down childhood home in the badlands of Alberta, Canada, is shaken when her brother Ricky arrives at her doorstep with his six-year-old daughter Jez in tow. While Ricky is unwilling to share what happened, their sudden appearance causes Regina to reexamine their complicated past. Much like the fossils referenced throughout, the characters’ relationships are layered, revealing more than originally meets the eye. Canadian narrator Tara Koehler convincingly depicts this moving family dramedy with an emotive and empathetic tone. Her nuanced and sensitive approach allows listeners to parse the trauma—violence, parental abandonment, mental illness—that reverberates throughout the generations.