Julia Whelan's glorious narration of Ami McKay's dark tale about witches in late-nineteenth-century New York keeps listeners engaged through a long, lumbering plot. Whelan's delightful Dearlies (dream sprites), her precocious raven, and other nonhuman characters lend an air of whimsy and playfulness to a disturbing story of misogyny and mysticism. She evokes chills with her portrayal of the evil minister, Reverend Townsend, and disdain for the close-minded citizens. McKay has created a large cast, and Whelan keeps each character distinct throughout. Combining these wonderful character portrayals with a strong sense of time and place carries the listeners through the plodding middle of the story to an intense ending.
Pub Date: 2017
Duration: 14 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062681829
Publisher: Harper 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:
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:
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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