by Diane Setterfield ; read by Bianca Amato & Jill Tanner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 22, 2006
Elderly, well-loved author Vida Winter commissions Margaret Lea to record her biography in this gothic mystery. Bianca Amato is stunning as Margaret, who is coming to terms with the truth of her own life as she slowly unravels the facts of Ms. Winter's. Amato's respect for the power of story and the written word is heard in every utterance. Jill Tanner accomplishes a tour de force as the enigmatic and mysterious Vida. In conversation her voice has the hesitancy and fragility of an elderly woman, but her voice takes on the strength and power of a master storyteller as she weaves her spellbinding life story. An author interview is icing on the cake. N.E.M. 2007 Audies Award Winner © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2006
Duration: 16 hrs
DD ISBN: 743564189
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Lauren Francis-Sharma ; read by Ron Butler & Bahni Turpin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 22, 2015
Awards & Accolades
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An astonishingly unique historical novel, which begins in Trinidad in the 1940s, this is an example of the best that an audiobook can offer. The two narrators, Ron Butler and Bahni Turpin, are superb choices who move the listener smoothly between the two main characters. Farook and Marcia Garcia are star-crossed lovers who don’t have fate on their side. Turpin evokes the rhythms of English as spoken in Trinidad, lyrical, and rhythmic. Through her confident narrative style, Marica Garcia comes across as a strong, beleaguered young woman. Her trials evoke empathy in the listener. Butler establishes the contorted choices that face Farook as an Indian man who is prevented by racism from marrying his true love. This sprawling tale spans Trinidad and the United States, from the 1940s-1960s.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2015
Duration: 13 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Bernard Cornwell ; read by Jack Hawkins ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 8, 2013
In this stand-alone novel set during the Hundred Years' War, Thomas of Hookton, hero of Cornwell's Grail Quest trilogy, returns with his band of mercenaries in pursuit of the sword of Saint Peter—a holy relic said to bestow great power. Naturally, others are also in pursuit and are determined to win the sword at any cost. Jack Hawkins delivers a stunning performance of this dramatic novel of political intrigue and military battle. Throughout, he effortlessly distinguishes characters from all over Western Europe through various accents. Hawkins's thoughtful reading reveals the emotions of the characters, enhancing their portrayals. His performance is full of energy during Cornwell's signature battle scenes, offering the listener a visceral experience of war.
Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2013
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062209344
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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