In this interlinked story collection, an ensemble of narrators takes on the voices of 11 people--some real, some invented--who are trapped in the orbit of P.T. Barnum. Each story builds on the ones before it, using the mostly marginalized people who surround Barnum to create a picture of the legendary showman's overwhelming personality and the ways the other characters' lives are irrevocably changed by him. The narrators, most taking on two different roles, succeed at making each character distinct while creating a thread of melancholy that magnifies their similarities. Amid uniformly excellent performances, particular standouts include Will Ropp's world-weary young General Tom Thumb, Jess Nahikian's sweetly gentle, lonely giantess, and Andrew Eiden's aggressively unhappy Robert Lincoln.
(Historical fiction. 13-18)Pub Date: 2020
Duration: 6 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781799748496
Publisher: Brilliance Audio/ Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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