In this novel, two women, both middle-aged novelists, share aspirations, personal struggles, and frustrations--though they are separated by eight decades. Narrator Eleanor Caudill brings to life the fictional contemporary writer Katie Cabot, who is living in London while searching for literary inspiration. She is the quintessential American, and in Caudill's voice we hear her naïveté, optimism, and effervescent personality. A parallel narrative explores real-life novelist Nancy Mitford's experience working in a London bookshop during WWII. Narrating this sequence with numerous English literary figures, the notorious Mitford relations, and one charming French colonel challenges Caudill's skills. This audiobook would have benefited from multiple narrators. Still, hearing this story is a treat for book lovers.
Pub Date: Aug. 17, 2021
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781488211348
Publisher: Harlequin 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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