This gripping historical thriller is compellingly narrated by Gabrielle de Cuir. The story takes place in Vienna in 1938, just as Germany has annexed Austria and begun its relentless campaign against Jews. Greta Kolbe is an 18-year-old Jewish girl who joins the Austrian resistance and becomes a target of the Gestapo. The majority of the audiobook chronicles her perils, incredible escapes, betrayals, helpmates, hardships, and vicious pursuers. The action is nonstop. While there are colorful descriptions of places and people, the dialogue is a bit awkward in places, and some of Greta's getaways are implausible. No matter. Listeners will be completely caught up in de Cuir's impassioned narration of Greta's harrowing situation.
Pub Date: Jan. 14, 2025
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228357013
Publisher: Blue Danube Press
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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