Who would have thought that the race to produce a workable light bulb could serve as the basis of a gripping historical novel? The story of the late-nineteenth-century battle between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse, as narrated by Johnathan McClain, is the best kind of can't-turn-it-off listen. Coils, wires, direct and alternating current, and the strange inventor Nikola Tesla are the stuff of marvelous intrigue as Westinghouse's lawyer, Paul Cravath, battles Edison's threats. McClain, whose Cravath has an enthusiastic mid-American persona, creates equally imaginative vocal portraits of Edison, Westinghouse, and Tesla, and believably colors several different women. Nicely marrying his pace and tone to each scene, and offering an easy narrative voice, McClain creates a superb audio experience.
Pub Date: Aug. 16, 2016
Duration: 13 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780735284555
Publisher: Random House 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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