Misinterpretation

Ledia Xhoga

Sep 2025 · Bolinda · Narrated by Alix Dunmore

Audiobook

8 hr 41 min

Unabridged

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About this audiobook

Albania was a country that made you uneasy and tense, but alert and alive. It infuriated, exasperated, without apology or retribution, and yet one felt seen here, often even loved. The urge to escape its stifling confinement was tinged with unexpected melancholy – for foreigners and natives alike. In present-day New York City, an Albanian interpreter reluctantly agrees to work with Alfred, a Kosovar torture survivor, during his therapy sessions. Despite her husband's cautions, she soon becomes entangled in her clients' struggles – Alfred's nightmares stir up her own buried memories, and an impulsive attempt to help a Kurdish poet leads to a risky encounter and a reckless plan. As ill-fated decisions stack up, jeopardising the nameless narrator's marriage and mental health, she takes a spontaneous trip to reunite with her mother in Albania, where her life in the United States is put into stark relief. When she returns to face the consequences of her actions, she must question what is real and what is not.

About the author

Ledia Xhoga (pronounced Joga) is a fiction writer and playwright. She was born and raised in Tirana, Albania and currently lives in Brooklyn. Her debut novel Misinterpretation was published by Tin House Books (US & Canada) and Daunt Books (UK). Misinterpretation was longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, the recipient of a New York City Book Award, Finalist for Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and a Best of 2024 Book by Debutiful. Her work has been published in Electric Literature, Lit Hub, Brooklyn Rail, Large Hearted Boy, Intrepid Times, Hobart and other journals. Her plays have been workshopped or produced by the Workshop Theater, New Perspectives Theatre, Eclectic Podcast Network, Martha's Vineyard Playhouse, Spark Creative Works, Downtown Urban Arts Festival in Manhattan, etc. She's a past participant in Kennedy Center's Playwriting Intensive and a member of the Dramatist Guild.

Alix Dunmore has been a London-based actress and accent coach for almost 20 years. Her recent stage credits include Blood Wedding at the Clapham Omnibus and The Silver Cord at The Finborough Theatre. She has also played the role of Selena in Haven for Amazon Prime. Alix has narrated many audiobooks, including The Little House by Philippa Gregory and Three Daughters of Eve by Elif Shafak.

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