Narrator Louise Brealey impressively conveys the horror in this controversial sequel to THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ. The novel's fictionalization of a real person, particularly scenes involving sexual enslavement, is being viewed by some as unethical. The story focuses on Cecilia "Cilka" Klein. After surviving many years at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Cilka is sentenced to 16 years in a Siberian gulag for collaborating with the Nazis. Listeners will be horrified on behalf of Cilka and her barracks mates as they endure unimaginable mistreatment but will also feel hopeful when they help each other physically and emotionally. Brealey excels with the many accents and diverse personalities of the prisoners, their relationships, and the demands of their heartless captors. The repetitious and overly graphic descriptions of injuries and Cilka's unrealistic medical skills are somewhat ameliorated by Brealey's measured delivery. S.G.B. 2020 Audies Finalist © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2019
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781250265999
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Dara Rosenberg returns to narrate Meltzer's latest heartwarming novel, a second-chance romance peppered with magical realism. To the shock of workaholic television producer Evelyn, her ex-husband, David, has been hired as on-set physician for her musical production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. As the frantically paced shooting unfolds, Evelyn is in a minor accident but declines medical care. She's then visited by eight "heartbreaks," or spectres, who show her moments in her past with David. Rosenberg skillfully portrays David's steadfast personality and concern for his ex-wife, as well as Evelyn's gradual recognition of her need to reorganize her priorities. This slow-burn romance will warm the hearts of listeners, who will also delight in its holiday theme.
Pub Date: Oct. 21, 2025
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781488236075
Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Narrator Rebecca Lowman imbues Kate Riley's parabolic prose with verve and urgency. This ambitious debut unearths universalities of feminine curiosity from within the walls of a strict insular community. Ruth--a relentlessly inquisitive, slightly brainwashed member of a Christian communist cult in rural Michigan--is irresistible. While not overtly rebellious, she is mischievous. Her thoughts and various events within the community construct an effectively plotless but intellectually seductive mosaic of language, which Lowman parses with methodical precision. Her sharp delivery meets the clever and quick-witted social commentary head-on, charging forward throughout the decades of Ruth's small, hilarious, human experiences as she follows her intuition with a hound's tenacity. This novel chronicles a divine, fullhearted struggle toward a happy, meaningful life.
Pub Date: Aug. 19, 2025
Duration: 7 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593951880
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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