This fascinating historical fiction is performed dynamically by Jessie Mueller. Mia lives in the Community, a cult that restricts contact with the outside world. All she has known comes into question when she reads THE SCARLET LETTER and observes how the story mysteriously reflects her sheltered and oppressed life. Now Mia seeks a way out and a way back in time to meet Nathaniel Hawthorne and ask her many questions. Mueller expertly delivers a unique performance. Mia is depicted as a complex character full of intrigue as she navigates her way through a compelling story. Mueller offers the right cadence and tone for this reflective novel. Her performance will transport listeners back in time.
Pub Date: Aug. 15, 2023
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797154800
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ayla, one of the "others," is adopted by a clan of Neanderthal cave people. She struggles to conform to their ways, but her advanced human traits overwhelm and threaten their primitive culture in this initial installment of an immensely popular series. Although the story might benefit from abridgment, Rowena Cooper easily carries out the formidable task of enlivening the mostly silent and stereotypical characters with consistent, diverse personalities and human dimension. Through skillful phrasing and inflection, she maintains the reader's interest and suspense, especially with Ayla and her plight, throughout this rambling and imaginative story.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This lyrical, sensual novel of woman's lot in Manchu, China, is as well researched as it is well written. Authentic in tone, it's nonetheless written for Westerners by a Western expert on China. Moreover, Susan Clark performs the demanding text superbly, with only occasional signs of fatigue. For the most part she not only sustains the quaint diction and Asian atmosphere, but also, creates whole worlds with her voice. She acts the book, rather than reads it, and, in so doing, turns a pretty trifle into a stupendous beauty.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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