Entitlement

Alam’s (Leave the World Behind) discomforting latest follows Brooke Orr, a thirtysomething woman hired by billionaire Asher Jaffee, who wants to give away his staggering fortune before his death. Charged with finding worthy causes of support, Brooke is brought into Asher’s intoxicating world; soon, she begins to wonder if his resources could provide her with power, importance, and a purpose of her own. As she navigates the ins and outs of money and desire, listeners gain insight into the meaning of entitlement. Audie Award–winning narrator Nicole Lewis offers a subtle, lyrical performance of the book. Though Brooke isn’t always a sympathetic character, listeners will respond to Lewis’s portrayal of her, which captures her unfolding spiral into desire, even when faced with the loss of her former self. Alam’s description of this privileged world—at once repellant and seductive—is resonant and thought-provoking. Though the plot occasionally meanders, Alam’s grim social commentary makes an impact.