Greta Wells, impaired by grief over her twin brother's death, seeks electroshock therapy as a last resort. Through time travel, each shock treatment causes her to switch places with the Gretas of 1918, 1941, and the present (which is 1985). Narrator Orlagh Cassidy keeps the listener engaged throughout the frequent character switches and the sometimes confusing scenes of time travel. Her subtle narration brings out the beauty of the elegant prose, creating vivid pictures of New York in the three time periods. Cassidy's understated yet emotional character voices complement the story's overall feeling of despair and, later, hope. Listeners will be eager to discover which time period Greta will choose to remain in once the shock therapy is complete.
Pub Date: June 25, 2013
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062283511
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: 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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