Alma Katsu adds suspense and horror to her supernatural account of the tragedy of the Donner Party, a group of American pioneers who set out for California in 1846 and ended up snowed in for months in the Sierra Nevadas. Narrator Kirsten Potter adds variety to the many different characters. Her voice is quiet yet mysterious when describing the rugged terrain and urgent and attention-grabbing during the most disturbing moments, when hungry, deranged men take over and people disappear. Potter depicts the eminence and points of view of leaders George Donner and James Reed, effectively portraying their differing personality traits. Other outstanding portrayals include Tamsen Donner, George's wife; Mary Graves, a young woman traveling with her family; and Charles Stanton, a traveling bachelor.
Pub Date: March 6, 2018
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780525527671
Publisher: Penguin 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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