Cassandra Campbell adds urgency and vivid characterizations to her melodic narrative voice in this novel about an illusionist during WWII. The plot revolves around young Fenna Vos, who emerged from a difficult Michigan childhood with secrets to conceal, even from herself. After becoming a talented professional magician, she's recruited to join a specialized unit of British military intelligence. Inspired by the Allies' use of Monopoly-based escape maps, author McMorris interweaves Fenna's story with trickery, adventure, romance, and emotional reckonings. In Campbell's performance, audible maturity gradually replaces Fenna's girlie naïveté as the plot thickens. Fenna's friend Arie is alternately tough and tender. Walk-on characters are entirely convincing. And through it all, Campbell embraces McMorris's elaborate writing style, pacing the adjective-rich sentences with appreciation and clarity.
Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2022
Duration: 17 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781705049082
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In this fascinating coming-of-age portrait, Thomas Black Bull's journey from the child, Bear's Brother, to the fearsome rodeo rider, Killer Tom Black, is painted with compassion and insight. Forced to learn the White Man's ways, Tom reaches adulthood consumed by rage. Read with great vigor by Norman Dietz, the recording bursts with the energy of rodeo circuit and transports the listener to the southwest. The accurate portrayal of Tom's Ute ancestry and way of life, the sorrow and frustration of losing his heritage, and his angry retaliation at the world make this an excellent listening choice for adults and teenagers. It would also be a wonderful addition to high school units on the Native American experience.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 10 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
George S. Irving adopts Patrick McManus's characters with gusto. Sit back and listen to yarn after yarn. Irving relishes each story, whether it's fishing stories, such as "Claw of the Sea-Puss" or "To Filet or Not to Filet," or the escapades with McManus's wary but vulnerable neighbors. Irving has the jocular chuckle down pat, and the low comedy satire comes off without a hitch. Listeners can imagine Irving tipping back a chair at the country store swapping lies with cronies and entertaining any comers with these hilarious tales. His repertoire of more than eight collections of McManus stories encourages this kind of ownership!
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: DH Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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