Narrator Robin Miles employs her terrific performance skills to enhance this historical novel on the life of Belle da Costa Greene. Born Belle Marion Greener--daughter of activist Richard Greener, Harvard's first Black graduate--she "passes" as a white Portuguese woman while working as the personal librarian of financier J.P. Morgan. Belle is an astute observer of the wealthy class. Her shrewd intellect, charm, and, most of all, her boldness enable her to become an important figure in the male-dominated field of arts acquisitions. Miles creates vibrant portrayals of each Morgan family member, as well as a mélange of New York and European society, affording listeners an illuminating picture of the opulence, prejudices, and restraints of this insular social milieu.
Pub Date: June 29, 2021
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593409701
Publisher: Penguin 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: N/A
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: N/A
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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