Narrators Clare Corbett and Penny Rawlins perfectly capture the experiences and feelings of two women who live in different time periods. “The Girl You Left Behind” is the painting that connects them. Sophie Lefevre, the subject of the painting, lives in occupied France during WWI, and Liv Halston, who currently owns the portrait, lives in present-day London. Sophie’s voice is high pitched, fast paced, and anxious, with French-accented English. The deep, harsh voices of the soldiers who occupy her town have distinctly German accents. In Liv’s time, the characters have a mix of British and American voices. Liv is portrayed with a proper British accent, which contrasts with the voice of her new boyfriend, who hails from New York City.
Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2013
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781101630891
Publisher: Penguin 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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