by Maria Semple ; read by Kathleen Wilhoite ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 4, 2016
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
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Listeners are dropped into Eleanor Flood's complicated life just as she's about to have a meltdown. Her son is faking illness, her husband is lying to her, and she's upset by news of her estranged sister. Narrator Kathleen Wilhoite gives Eleanor a voice that's as quirky and unpredictable as her personality while offering clues as to why things have gone so wrong in her life. Not only does Wilhoite perfectly convey a character who is both frustrating and charming, she also maintains the cohesiveness of the story as it shifts between first- and third-person perspectives. It's the kind of narration that draws listeners into the story, wanting to know what happens next. The icing on the cake is a rendition of "Morning Has Broken," complete with guitar accompaniment.
Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
Duration: 6 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781478927631
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Lauren Francis-Sharma ; read by Ron Butler & Bahni Turpin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 22, 2015
Awards & Accolades
Our Verdict
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An astonishingly unique historical novel, which begins in Trinidad in the 1940s, this is an example of the best that an audiobook can offer. The two narrators, Ron Butler and Bahni Turpin, are superb choices who move the listener smoothly between the two main characters. Farook and Marcia Garcia are star-crossed lovers who don’t have fate on their side. Turpin evokes the rhythms of English as spoken in Trinidad, lyrical, and rhythmic. Through her confident narrative style, Marica Garcia comes across as a strong, beleaguered young woman. Her trials evoke empathy in the listener. Butler establishes the contorted choices that face Farook as an Indian man who is prevented by racism from marrying his true love. This sprawling tale spans Trinidad and the United States, from the 1940s-1960s.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2015
Duration: 13 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
by Elin Hilderbrand ; read by Erin Bennett ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 30, 2020
Sometimes a book pulls you in and holds on tight--this is definitely one of those. Narrator Erin Bennett is warm, engaging, and enthusiastic as Mallory Blessing and a host of wide-ranging, multidimensional characters. As the story begins, Mallory is dying and her son, Link, is given instructions to call a strange number belonging to Jake McCloud. Listeners are soon taken on a journey back in time as their 28-year love story unfolds. Bennett's narration perfectly matches each stage of Mallory's life--and her unconventional "same time next year" relationship with Jake--as she finds her place on Nantucket. Best of all, each chapter opens with a list of "things we were talking about" during each of the 28 years, making the novel's journey back in time even more memorable for listeners.
Pub Date: June 30, 2020
Duration: 15 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549117367
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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