Being transported in time to the antebellum South would hardly be the first choice of a young black woman of the 1970s--even if it's to save the life of the slaveholder who otherwise might never grow up to be her ancestor. This may seem farfetched to some, but it provides the framework for a poignant and thought-provoking novel about slavery, survival and human nature. Kim Staunton removes any sense of strangeness for the reader and moves skillfully between the time periods as this unusual time-link continues. Her use of accents not only directs the listener through the changing settings, but also showcases the dynamic attitudes and emotions of the characters and their relationships with each other and the shifting social contexts in which they find themselves.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1998
Duration: 11 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781449876814
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Multiple award winner Card is one of the greatest practitioners of science fiction; here he delivers a history fantasy of the Wabash Valley circa 1800, a world of hexes and folk magic. This is the first book about Alvin Maker, the seventh son of a seventh son, who has remarkable psychic powers. Card is a very good narrator, expressive and well paced. One can hear the excitement of an author as he brings his own well described characters to life. There is one momentary technical glitch, the only slip up in an exemplary presentation. Highly recommended for fiction collections everywhere.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 7 hrs
Publisher: The Literate Ear
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Asimov's sweeping tale of the disintegration and fall of the Galactic Empire has never been more relevant or poignant. In the third book of the original trilogy, Dan Lazar handles the material adequately. He uses his limited range of voices nicely, if sometimes amusingly--he sometimes sounds like a foreigner attempting to mimic American accents. Varying pitch and pacing make for a lively narration, and his reading of a precocious young woman, who is ultimately an important figure, is delightful. Technical and editorial problems plague the title. Hearing Lazar repeatedly mispronounce a word that the text itself explains how to pronounce is very frustrating. Intermittent fade-outs on one channel; inconsistencies when switching sides; and low, rumbling background noise mar the sound quality.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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