Six narrators collaborate to tell the story of Nori, a biracial child born out of wedlock to an aristocratic family in postwar Japan. Robin Eller, the main narrator, portrays the despised little girl left with her cruel, arrogant grandparents. Listeners hear her vulnerability and her longing for love. The arrival of her half-brother, Akira, brightens her life. Akira is portrayed by Louis Ozawa, who captures Akira’s kindness, self-control, and focus. Another outstanding performance is that of Jeena Yi, who animates the madam, Kiyomi, who runs a house of prostitution. Her voice is worldly-wise and tough but shows a hint of compassion. This sweeping coming-of-age epic is dramatic, at times melodramatic, and told by narrators with empathy for the characters they portray.
Pub Date: 2020
Duration: 13 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593292310
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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