A four-year veteran of WWI, Tom Birkin has been left with a post-traumatic facial tic and stutter. In the summer of 1920, he is hired to uncover a medieval church painting in the Yorkshire village of Oxgodby. Filled with the period detail of a kinder, gentler time, Birkin’s reflection is a sweet exploration of his healing process. Narrator Nick Rawlinson enhances Carr’s elegant prose, moving Birkin from an early, deeply felt sense of resignation into a world of possibility. Rawlinson’s performance of the locals who befriend Birkin, their Yorkshire accents, their country ways, is flawless. As Birkin restores the apocalyptic masterpiece, unlikely friendships, the woman he falls chastely in love with, and the lush summer landscapes all work their magic on a man nearly broken by war.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 3 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: ISIS Audio Books
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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