Narrators January LaVoy and Shayna Small deliver vivid, highly animated, and thoughtfully developed performances in this audiobook. The saga begins in 1865 with a couple separated by slavery and war and makes its way to the present day and a new couple. Thanks to the skilled narrators, the wide array of characters come to life whether they're speaking in 1865, the 21st century, or sometime in between. Each narrator's voice is well matched to its time period, and the time-shifts are easy to follow throughout. This audiobook has a theatrical tone and rhythm that will enhance the experience for some listeners, but for others the sometimes-slow pace of the exposition may detract from the overall effect.
Pub Date: April 22, 2025
Duration: 13 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063234123
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners will lose themselves in this beautiful, heartfelt story.
With equal parts emotional expressiveness and vocal precision, Dion Graham masterfully narrates Mosley’s latest—an unlikely love story. Robert Horton, a vegan chef, falls in love with the brilliant scientist Jamilah Fenestra; few can understand the depth of their connection. Graham sensitively portrays Robert’s neurodivergence and highlights his wisdom and kindness. The story follows their son, Ghalen, as he makes sense of the world around him. It soon becomes apparent that Ghalen is exceptionally intelligent, and his childhood is marked by a deep loss. Graham gives each character a unique voice while conveying the complexity of each individual.
Listeners will lose themselves in this beautiful, heartfelt story.Pub Date: May 26, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 5 mins
DD ISBN: 9780063451582
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2026
Penning’s narration kicks this imaginative world up an additional notch.
Shaw’s alternative Arctic society, touched with today’s climate-changed environment, is inventive, lovely, and heartbreaking. In a story told from several viewpoints, from various generations, Marni Penning creates multiple characters who plausibly inhabit this off-kilter world. Her performance is enthusiastic, even joyful, but with a perfect quirky edginess. Siblings Milda, Finley, and Temperance Spahr live in a house on stilts, with parents who farm octopus and fly tourists in their floatplane. The Spahrs descend from homesteaders who carted pianos across the permafrost as a symbol of civilization. Most pianos were lost; later generations seek their fortune by recovering them from the bottom of the fjords. It’s a frontier world, but with a twist—there are trained moose, sea lion pets, and salmon with piano keys in their bellies.
Penning’s narration kicks this imaginative world up an additional notch.Pub Date: May 12, 2026
Duration: 11 hrs, 27 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217174096
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: May 26, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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