Nickel Mountain is a quiet account of moral heroism in the face of the world's blatant meaninglessness. Middle-aged Henry Soames, owner of an all-night diner, has a heart condition, which he unintentionally relieves by taking in and marrying a pregnant 16-year-old named Callie Wells. An ordinary working-class man, Henry continues to do acts of charity for friends and acquaintances even though these acts are often wasted and unappreciated. Though life is so hard as to be absurd, Henry puts his faith in human goodness. This is one of Books on Tape's earliest recordings (1976) and is marred by the tinny sound and grating voice of the unexpressive narrator, Dan Lazar. We can hope they will reissue it someday, using high-fidelity recording equipment and a better performer.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1976
Duration: 12 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This audiobook is initially daunting. Sixteen hours long and constructed of subtle—at times, even confusing—shifts in point of view, it may feel overwhelming in the first hour. But sticking with George Newbern’s narration and Gilbert’s prose yields great rewards. Newbern’s performance is funny, thoughtful, heartrending, and utterly engrossing. When the famous, now aging, author A.N. Dyer calls his distant sons to his side, Newbern is provided ample characters to animate, and he does so with perfect pacing and what seems like an innate understanding of the novel. He creates a rhythm that makes the changing perspectives easy to follow and Gilbert’s details accessible. & SONS is a perfect example of how a skilled narrator can make a good book even better.
Pub Date: July 23, 2013
Duration: 16 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780385359566
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Following multiple lives over six decades, this is a story of cultural shifts, the effects of racial prejudice, and family secrets. Joy Osmanski's narration is engaged and easy to listen to. There are times when her narration is uneven and character accents are inconsistent, but she moves the story along at an excellent pace. Will Damron capably narrates a few descriptive paragraphs at the beginning to set the scene. During the '50s, as bombs are explode in Nevada's deserts to entertain Las Vegas tourists, four sets of characters experience the destruction caused by prejudice and social upheaval in their lives. The author skillfully integrates the lives of vivid and realistic characters, bringing them to a satisfying and surprising denouement in the final chapters.
Pub Date: May 2, 2017
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781508234715
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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