An epic novel enveloping a wide swath of European colonialism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is deftly narrated by Robin Miles. The novel opens in Montana with the adventures and tribulations of Victor, a Crow Indian boy who, approaching manhood, is heading out on his vision quest. Victor's mother, Rosa, from Trinidad, is the daughter of a formerly enslaved father from Africa and a woman from Martinique. Miles beautifully captures numerous accents in the account of Rosa's early life in the Caribbean, voyage to the American West, and life with the Crow Indians. This little known part of America's story is riveting in itself. Coupled with Miles's stunning narration, this novel will no doubt find many attentive listeners.
Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781705214763
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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