Along with her family, Princess Sophie has fled her island kingdom of Montmaray. She describes in her journal both the looming threat of WWII and her social season in London. Emma Bering conveys Sophie’s anxiety over mixing with British aristocrats as well as over her family’s squabbles. Bering's differentiation of voices for Sophie and the members of her family is unevenly performed. Perfectly rendered, Sophie’s Aunt Charlotte emerges as a squawking stickler for propriety. The rest of the narration is less successful. The pacing is slow, and Bering stretches out the words with a painful woebegone drawl. Worst of all is Javier, a Spanish boy who ends up sounding more like a Russian.
Young AdultPub Date: April 5, 2011
Duration: 14 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780307747211
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
"Neither a master nor nigger be," Tall John admonishes "47" early and often in this young adult novel, which is part mystery, part historical fiction, and part science fiction. In one of his final performances, the late, great Ossie Davis has left us with a treasured gift. He becomes "47," a fourteen-year-old slave on the Corinthian Plantation in the year 1832. Davis's wonderful gravelly voice lends a touch of realism to this surreal story. The novel, Mosley's first for young adults, has enough complex layers to keep adults involved. Listen as a family--the story may inspire some interesting discussions on freedom and the dynamics of the master/slave relationship.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2005
Duration: 6 hrs, 15 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a graceful blending of fact and fiction, Cooper creates a cast of quirky royals who've fallen on hard times. It's 1936. The Nazis are becoming a world force, and 16-year-old Princess Sophie is stuck in the family's "fortified house," on an island kingdom in the middle of the Bay of Biscay, halfway between France and Spain. Emma Bering offers a sweet narration of Sophie's journal entries about highly “un-aristocratic” drudgery, romantic daydreams, dark suspicions, and the surprise presence of some very real Nazis. Bering's childlike voice adds charm to Sophie's spirited observations of her tomboy sister, Henry; brother, Toby; handsome Simon; and brilliant cousin, Veronica. Once young listeners overcome the story’s lengthy exposition in the early parts, they'll find themselves caught up in a thrilling adventure.
Young AdultPub Date: Jan. 12, 2010
Duration: 8 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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