The calm with which Lloyd James narrates this novel underscores the difficult subject matter and gives it a weight that a more dramatic interpretation would have lessened. Set during WWII, this mix of fiction and nonfiction is centered around the bombing of the small town of Guernica, Spain—chosen randomly as the place to practice for future bombings—by German planes. Boling mines historical information and combines it with a touching love story between a British pilot and a relief worker. James handles the material with aplomb, given the atrocities rendered. The account of the bombing itself, halfway through the story, is stunning. Fans of THE ENGLISH PATIENT will definitely want to give this a listen.
Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2008
Duration: 13 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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