Narrator Edoardo Ballerini anchors the full-cast performance of a story that takes place in Spokane, Washington, in the early twentieth century. The audiobook centers on two brothers who arrive in town seeking seasonal work. Events take a turn when they get caught up in the free speech movement and union organizing. Other narrators deliver first-person vignettes that provide the backgrounds and ultimate fates of key characters. Spot-on portrayals include a female activist, narrated by Marin Ireland; a dodgy detective, narrated by Mike Ortego; and the police chief, narrated by Tim Reynolds. Ballerini's near-perfect delivery conveys both a polarized sociopolitical atmosphere fueled by a wealth gap and deep personal connections forged by common experience. The outstanding production captures the heart of this affecting snapshot of life during the Progressive Era.
Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2020
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063033863
Publisher: Harper 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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