Catherine Parr was a young child when she met the dashing, handsome King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, the queen for whom she was named. Throughout her life, Henry was a friend, an enemy, a confidant, an admirer, a supporter, and finally her husband. From Catherine's point of view, we see Henry's marriages, a large part of Tudor history, and her own life. Terry Donnelly keeps all this straight and the story flowing in an elegant reading that also expresses Catherine's noble background. As Donnelly takes us through each phase of Cat's life, her precise and crisp reading accents Cat's intelligent thoughtfulness. Her voice rises strongly at points to show Catherine's more passionate side.
Pub Date: Oct. 3, 2006
Duration: 12 hrs
Publisher: Audio Renaissance
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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