Early-nineteenth-century Ireland is a world of superstition, poverty, and survival, a world that narrator Caroline Lennon describes in her strong Irish brogue. Nora finds herself caring for her 4-year-old grandchild, Michael, who doesn't speak or walk. She's helped by Mary, a young woman hired to work in the house and care for Michael, and Nance, a wise woman and a pagan who knows herbs and perhaps the ways of the good people. Lennon shifts from short phrases for the narrative, which is often a little stiff, to fluidly read the dialogue. The story unwinds slowly, forcing listeners to pay attention to the subtle details interspersed with quick glimpses of the good people, the elves, and other creatures of that place of which folktales are told.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2017
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781619699816
Publisher: Hachette 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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