Saskia Maarleveld delivers a beautiful performance in HESTER, an imagined story of the inspiration for Nathaniel Hawthorne's SCARLET LETTER. Immediately after Isobel and Edward Gamble arrive in Salem, Massachusetts, from Scotland, Edward takes off to sea again. Master seamstress Isobel has to be careful--she sees letters as colors--and in 1829 Salem, years after the infamous witch trials, that can still be dangerous. Nat's attraction to Isobel is instantaneous. Maarleveld provides the necessary electricity, the yearning, the longing, and, of course, the guilt. Maarleveld's Nat is weak, troubled by his desires; her Isobel is luminous, struggling to maintain her dignity. And the depth of Maarleveld's secondary characters makes them more than mere background. This well-written, well-researched, and masterfully performed novel provides satisfying listening.
Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2022
Duration: 9 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250868794
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
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
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