Adjoa Andoh’s masterful narration channels the power running throughout Groff’s much anticipated novel. Distressingly tall and awkward, Marie de France, half sister of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, is exiled to a decrepit, far-flung abbey. First, as prioress and, then, as abbess, Marie begins her life’s work, audaciously transforming the abbey into an empowering and wholly unique sanctuary for the women within. Andoh allows listeners to fully experience the nuns’ rich personalities, using an impressive range of accents, timbres, and rhythms throughout. Above all, it is her depiction of Marie that shines most brightly. With a low, gravelly voice, Andoh conveys Marie’s intensity while also hinting at her carefully hidden sensuality and vulnerability. This resonant and authentic narration honors the novel and makes for a truly compelling audiobook.
Pub Date: Sept. 7, 2021
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593453742
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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