Alyson Hagy places listeners in an Appalachian community ravaged by nationwide illness and a manipulative local tyrant after an unnamed civil war. Narrator Shannon McManus's thoughtful performance and soft Southern cadence elicit the tenacity and vulnerability of a central unnamed woman throughout her personal and public trials. Alone on family property save for her dogs, the woman provides space for displaced persons on her land and writes atoning letters for paying penitents. McManus contributes to the story's meditative quality with her steady characterizations of residents and the itinerant stranger who insists the woman scribe his letter. As disconcerting events unfold, sometimes dipping back into memory, listeners share the woman's apprehension and pain. Transgression and redemption are equally entrenched, elusive, and surprising in this hardscrabble landscape.
Pub Date: Oct. 2, 2018
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781978629417
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Four narrators help listeners discover a mysterious, underwater world.
Four narrators bring this debut novel to life. Otta is an experienced diver returning to her hometown, where she meets May. May enlists her help to search for her daughter, Daphne, who has disappeared from an underwater community created years ago by a flooded valley. Charles Linshaw narrates interstitial chapters that give insight into the underwater town’s difficult beginnings. His voice reflects both uncertainty and tenacity. Emma Ladji pours world-weariness into Otta, who is reeling from a recent tragedy. Leeanna Albanese fills Daphne’s voice with hope and wonder as she makes discoveries. As May, Gail Shalan sounds almost hysterically desperate.
Four narrators help listeners discover a mysterious, underwater world.Pub Date: April 21, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 29 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217173983
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2026
Gregoire's performance of these original stories stimulates listeners' imagination, providing plenty of food for thought.
Samek's collection of 12 short stories is thought provoking, surreal, and original. These creative stories are linked by several common threads: psychology, technology, and time. Narrator Chandler Gregoire adopts a personable tone, feminine and relatable, though her pacing can sometimes become a little bit rapid. Several standout stories from the collection include the titular tale of an older brother who has a puppeteer to control him; “Muscle to Muscle, Toe to Toe,” in which a couple is matched by an algorithm but it ends up feeling artificial; and “The Cloud,” in which mothers' limbs are stored in the cloud.
Gregoire's performance of these original stories stimulates listeners' imagination, providing plenty of food for thought.Pub Date: Feb. 24, 2026
Duration: 5 hrs, 16 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217278107
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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