Rebecca Soler narrates this feminist story of 16-year-old Rhiher's traumatic past. Rhi unexpectedly moves in with her gentle, caring uncle. While working at a wildlife preserve, she is shocked to find four feral girls whose guardian, a man named Mother, has recently died. Mother claimed to be a prophet and said the girls would return to the kingdom of Leutheria when they found their fifth sister. The girls befriend Rhi at the same time that their opinions about Mother begin to diverge; listeners can hear their growing contentiousness. Adults discuss them in grave tones, and characters sob with shaky voices as they work through their trauma. Listeners will alternate between outrage and tenderness as this novel criticizes how our society treats women and girls.
(Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2024
Duration: 11 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: Zando
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners follow Merry, the longbow girl, one of the best archers in her town. When she finds a magical portal in the forest that takes her back to sixteenth-century Wales, she must use her skills to win an archery contest in order to help her ancestors keep their land. While narrator Emily Wilden brings protagonist Merry to life with a rich Welsh accent, her narration seems uneven at times. All the period characters have accents that reflect the setting of the story and transport listeners to Wales. Listeners who enjoy historical fiction and a bit of fantasy will be charmed by this tale of determination, hope, and family.
Young AdultPub Date: N/A
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781501916793
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In 1832 thirteen-year-old Charlotte Doyle is sailing from Liverpool to Rhode Island to rejoin her family. Shocked to discover that the families who were to have been both guardians and companions will not accompany her, Charlotte embarks on a journey filled with terror and swashbuckling adventure. The first-person narrative makes this Newbery Honor book a wonderful choice for recording. O'Karma's reading, with its hint of cross-gender differentiation, allows the listener to feel as if Charlotte Doyle herself were relating the tale. This story should be particularly alluring to adolescent girls although the fast-paced action and the nautical setting will also appeal to male listeners. Ages 12-adult.
Ages 12+Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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