Red Thread of Fate

In Chinese mythology, two people fated to be together are joined by an invisible red thread from their very beginnings. The two are destined to be lovers. In her second novel, Butler (The Tiger Mom’s Tale) expands this to include adopted children and families formed by circumstance, not by blood. The book opens with the deaths of two main characters and draws listeners in immediately. Listeners might wish for more depth to the characters and a little more plausibility in some of the plot twists, but it’s an enjoyable listen overall. Told in the third person, most of the novel is presented from the perspective of the main character, Tam. Natalie Naudus does an excellent job bringing Tam to life as she narrates with pleasant and soothing tones. Naudus differentiates between women and men, adults and children, and native and non-native English speakers.