Irene Némirovsky died at Auschwitz in 1942, before her fortieth birthday. Her posthumously published SUITE FRANCAISE became an immediate bestseller, and this novella, set in the prewar days of rural France, is a fitting addition to her legacy. Mark Bramhall tells of Silvio, who left his village a lifetime ago, seeking travel and adventure. With his inheritance spent, the middle-aged adventurer returns home to a farmer's hovel, enjoying his solitude while reflecting on his youth and missed love. With an easy-on-the-ears French accent, Bramhall's voice holds the passion of youth, the regret of middle age, and the bitter wisdom of experience. He takes Némirovsky's elegant, spare tale and breathes life into it.
Pub Date: Sept. 25, 2007
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780739357774
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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