Candace Thaxton's firm, unemotional voice reflects the hardships that broke the hearts and minds of the women who were the unsung heroines of America's western expansion. THE HOMESMAN paints a bleak picture of pioneer life on the Nebraska prairie in the early 1850s. Four wives have come through a harsh winter in a pitiful state. With none of their husbands willing to serve as homesman, that is, to escort the wives back east to their families, Mary Bee Cuddy, spinster homesteader, steps forward and, with the help of an unsavory claim jumper, begins the perilous journey. Thaxton's delivery is as persistent and unbending as the land and its hardships. Not for the fainthearted, this story will leave listeners with even greater respect for the women who settled the West.
Pub Date: Feb. 11, 2014
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781442370883
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Reader Michael Prichard delivers a convincing rendition of Archie Goodwin, the burly right hand of the portly Nero Wolfe, world-renowned gourmand and detective. Prichard preserves the 1970s setting and 1950s origins of the story, bringing listeners a well-paced narration of murder and politics--a combination of elements that usually guarantees an exciting listen. This audio entertainment is as well formed and fragrant as one of Wolfe's hothouse orchids (the stout sleuth cultivates them by the hundreds in his town house greenhouse) as Goodwin walks us through an explosive murder investigation and political wheeling and dealing in a tough yet intelligent read.
Pub Date: Jan. 15, 2006
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Partners
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This collection of eight short stories contains gentle tales of fantasy and magic--not the magic of wizards and wands, but of wishing mats and enormous cats and gifts brought by the winds. In a lovely English accent, Lizza Aiken quietly narrates these stories in which magic and good fortune often come to those who deserve it. Although her pitch changes little, she registers a range of emotions--from the sadness of a girl whose necklace of raindrops has been stolen to the joy of a child who moves from a hard life and a ramshackle trailer to a happy home amid the clouds. A NECKLACE OF RAINDROPS would make a soothing choice for a family car trip after a long day.
Ages 6+Pub Date: Jan. 5, 2016
Duration: 1 hr, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781101915721
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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