This affecting novel is based on real WWI heroes, American Major Charles Whittlesey and Cher Ami, a carrier pigeon. Narrator Noah Michael Levine's performance establishes Major Whittlesey as a man of conscience, devoted to his men. Juliana Canfield, as Cher Ami, gives an exceptional performance without becoming precious. She offers an intelligent pigeon's-eye-view of the frightening sounds and reeking smells of war. From her permanent perch at the Smithsonian, Cher Ami observes, comments, and remembers the trenches, the battles, and the men. When his unit is being bombarded by friendly fire, Whittlesey sends Cher Ami to HQ with corrected coordinates. Levine re-creates Whittlesey's desperation, while Canfield makes us feel Cher Ami's determination fulfill her mission, whatever the cost. Both narrators develop fully credible characters. Top-notch historical fiction.
Pub Date: Aug. 11, 2020
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593291498
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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