The author presents history as it was lived by three generations of a New Orleans family. Narrator Bahni Turpin lays the foundation for the audiobook as Evelyn, whose story takes place in the 1940s. Setting a high bar, Turpin gives life to Evelyn's sister, parents, and beau in scenes that take place in the kitchen and on the porch. Adenrele Ojo captures the plight of Evelyn's daughter, Jackie, who faces single motherhood in the 1980s. Kevin Kenerly embodies T.C., Jackie's son, in post-Katrina New Orleans. With scenes that include segregation and incarceration, Sexton and her narrators keep this family saga moving from hope to heartache, and back again.
Pub Date: 2017
Duration: 8 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781538450918
Publisher: Blackstone 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:
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:
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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