Eva Feiler gives an emotionally expressive performance of this historical novel. Listeners will feel they are witnessing history as they learn of the harrowing conditions two young Jewish women found themselves in during WWII in Nazi-occupied northern Italy. Anti-Semitic laws were in force, and military officers were rounding up Jews for deportation. Determined Esti, who is involved in the Resistance, is portrayed by Feiler in a defiant tone. Esti's more cautious best friend, Lili, must summon up her courage when Esti asks her to take Esti's 3-year-old son to Allied-occupied southern Italy. Often walking on foot and aided by compassionate clergy and kindhearted citizens, Lili finds herself in constant peril. Feiler's propulsive pacing and nuanced character portraits add to this story's powerful impact.
Pub Date: March 4, 2025
Duration: 12 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217064175
Publisher: Penguin Audio
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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