In 1954, Marilyn Monroe embarked on a USO tour of Seoul. Janet Song narrates this story of the fictional Korean woman designated to be Marilyn's translator. Song delivers a delicate but not subservient manner for Alice, who begrudgingly agrees to accompany the starlet, despite the crisis in her personal life. Song's tone begins to warm as Alice discovers shared heartaches with Marilyn, who basks in the soldiers' adoration but struggles with her own demons. Marilyn has only minor appearances in this story, but Song narrates her parts with a well-tempered imitation of her famously wispy voice. Song's feminine style is not particularly suited to male characters, but these are few, and she delivers their limited dialogue with heartiness.
Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062958952
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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
