Louise Erdrich narrates her novel in a quiet voice that belies its power to convey her devastating and heart-wrenching story. Cedar, an adopted Ojibwe woman, slowly reveals the horrors of the novel's dystopian setting as she writes a diary addressed to her future baby. Evolution is going haywire, and society disintegrates as pregnant women are captured to birth their babies in hospitals, with dismal chances of survival. Erdrich's intimate narration seems as though one is hearing Cedar recount her story herself; she voices her interpretations of her white adoptive and Native birth families, along with nightmarish hospital staff and snatchers of pregnant women. Erdrich devastates with her story as she projects Cedar's strength, convictions, and pain as she fights for control over her body and the destiny of her unborn child.
Pub Date: Nov. 14, 2017
Duration: 10 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062742384
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The lovely and engaging voice of narrator Julia Atwood gives protagonist Mazzy Goodwyn satisfying emotion. Atwood's youthful tone fits the girl soldier, and her cadence subtly moves the suspenseful action of this story forward. Mazzy sounds appropriately surprised when she awakens one day with a set of wings. The confusing dystopian world she lives in is in the midst of civil war and planetary climate catastrophe. Despite these, and personal loss, Mazzy stays focused. Heathcock depicts an America in crisis--political, environmental, and religious. The arc of the audiobook owes something to both fantasy and science fiction. While the authoritarian fanatics come across as especially bloodless, the calming ending balances the carnage exacted earlier in the audiobook. Atwood delivers all of it compellingly.
Pub Date: Aug. 2, 2022
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798200926954
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a dystopian Great Britain run by a corporate entity called The Company, fines are levied for all crimes, even those as serious as murder. The rich, who can pay these penalties, go free. Those who can't are sentenced to hard labor and become society's underclass. Narrator Peter Kenny, through his smooth, effective use of accents, reminds the listener that this future Britain remains a caste society. At the heart of the cautionary tale is Theo, a cog in the machine, who rises up after an old friend, Dani, is murdered for daring to ask questions. Thanks to Kenny's skill, listeners can vividly imagine the people Theo encounters from all strata of society as he seeks justice for Dani and hunts for the daughter he never knew he had. This is a dense production, but Kenny succeeds in helping the listener differentiate its many characters. The result is a stark but satisfying listen.
Pub Date: May 22, 2018
Duration: 13 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781478923152
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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