Robin Miles's powerful emotional tone carries listeners to Nigeria and the life of an unnamed narrator in the 2010s. She is bright and beloved by family and friends. Cheer balances her worries about hiding menstrual blood, and she dreams of meetings with her first crush. Short chapters mark small moments of daily life and introduce rumors about Boko Haram. When the militants arrive, they kill her father and brothers, destroy the village, and kidnap her and other young women. Miles voices the narrator's anger, sadness, and mourning through tone and pace, and powerfully evokes her anxiety about staying alive sexually intact. Eventual escape reveals her courage and resilience. The compelling story is followed by facts derived from interviews that provide personal and historical context.
(Fiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: 2018
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062890207
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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