The title character in Brown's novel is a premature baby who is brought by hatbox to the incubator exhibit at the 1933 World's Fair. While this baby is the catalyst for a number of changes in a number of lives, the true main character is the fair itself. Grover Gardner lends his rich voice to rich descriptions of the atmosphere and the people who create it. The World's Fair is a mosaic of bright sights and individuals: fan dancers alongside scientists, self-proclaimed "freaks" alongside tiny babies. Although the plot's pacing can be inconsistent at times, Gardner lets the setting unroll like a lavish carpet, and his artful, patient narration makes this novel worth a listen.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2001
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America/ Chivers
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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