Michael Winter's second novel adopts a historical figure as its narrator--Rockwell Kent, the New York artist whose illustrations revived interest in MOBY-DICK in the 1920s. The story is inspired by Kent's move to Newfoundland before WWI. Listeners who know THE SHIPPING NEWS will not only notice the similarity in premise (though the styles of the two books are entirely different), but will also recognize narrator Robert Joy, who read the audio edition of Annie Proulx's novel. Joy's facility with turning on and off his Newfoundland accent and his imbuing of each character with a unique voice bring the world of the novel to life. Some of the author's dialogue seems improbable, but in Joy's hands it sounds palatable.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2007
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Rattling Books
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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