A famous musician recovering from a recent tragedy seeks solace and anonymity in Appalachia. He finds himself embroiled in local trouble of a very strange sort, for there is magic as well as music in this part of the country. The story is atmospheric, with detailed descriptions of the land and wildlife and plants. Narrator Stefan Rudnicki creates gentle Appalachian accents for the characters without anything showy in his performance. His deep voice magically transforms into soft, feminine tones for the female characters. There are many songs in this book, and rather than sing them, Rudnicki speaks them in a soft cadence, almost as though he’s reciting poetry. It is an effective, gentle performance. G.D. 2014 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: June 18, 2013
Duration: 9 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781482915587
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Suvari’s strong performance commits to the drama, increasing the stakes of a plot that has more atmospherics than...
This audiobook’s plot satisfyingly deploys familiar motifs of retro New England academia and of witchery as metaphor for the stigmatization of women’s power. Ava and Lauren, in their first year at the elite women’s Radcliffe College in the 1950s, are recruited into the secret Lilith Society of witches. When Mena Suvari is portraying adult Ava and Lauren and their Radcliffe milieu, her narration is delivered as seriously as the women take themselves, in defiance of a sexist era that belittles them. Memories of Ava’s childhood in small-town Maine sound guileless and open, bright with the child’s sparkling potential and curiosity, even as her family cruelly attempts to suppress her magical destiny.
Suvari’s strong performance commits to the drama, increasing the stakes of a plot that has more atmospherics than action.Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs, 50 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668117026
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 8, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2026
There’s sweet magic in this comforting tale of a coffee shop run by insightful cats.
Susan Momoko Hingley’s gentle performance suits the themes of introspection and healing as three people confront change and seek their authentic selves. Satsuki, a young actress, almost lost her career after an affair with a married man. Her mother, Fujiko, has also lived outside societal norms as a single mother. Fujiko’s childhood friend and one-time romantic interest, Wataru, is grappling with his own struggles. Though the characters’ voices are not always distinct, Hingley brings sensitivity and emotion to her performance, including her portrayals of the quirky and endearing cats whose astrological interpretations guide the cafe’s customers toward greater self-understanding.
There’s sweet magic in this comforting tale of a coffee shop run by insightful cats.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 34 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217404551
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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