Like fine music that starts softly, then adds layers of intensity until a moving crescendo is reached, Hesketh's remarkable story increases its intrigue and complexity as it builds toward a memorable finish. Norman Dietz is pitch-perfect in his rendition of elderly beekeeper and social misfit Albert Honig, whose pedantic nature is revealed through long passages on the intricate behaviors and lore of bees. Dietz’s tone reflects Honig’s endearing puzzlement as he tries unsuccessfully to comprehend the tragedies of his own small slice of human society. Using nuance and understatement to achieve maximum emotional impact, Dietz's style is an ideal match for this quietly powerful story of lives and loves choked off by the crushing weight of dark secrets. This is beautifully written and presented debut novel. Listeners will be left wanting more.
Pub Date: April 29, 2013
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781452683133
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This audiobook is initially daunting. Sixteen hours long and constructed of subtle—at times, even confusing—shifts in point of view, it may feel overwhelming in the first hour. But sticking with George Newbern’s narration and Gilbert’s prose yields great rewards. Newbern’s performance is funny, thoughtful, heartrending, and utterly engrossing. When the famous, now aging, author A.N. Dyer calls his distant sons to his side, Newbern is provided ample characters to animate, and he does so with perfect pacing and what seems like an innate understanding of the novel. He creates a rhythm that makes the changing perspectives easy to follow and Gilbert’s details accessible. & SONS is a perfect example of how a skilled narrator can make a good book even better.
Pub Date: July 23, 2013
Duration: 16 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780385359566
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Following multiple lives over six decades, this is a story of cultural shifts, the effects of racial prejudice, and family secrets. Joy Osmanski's narration is engaged and easy to listen to. There are times when her narration is uneven and character accents are inconsistent, but she moves the story along at an excellent pace. Will Damron capably narrates a few descriptive paragraphs at the beginning to set the scene. During the '50s, as bombs are explode in Nevada's deserts to entertain Las Vegas tourists, four sets of characters experience the destruction caused by prejudice and social upheaval in their lives. The author skillfully integrates the lives of vivid and realistic characters, bringing them to a satisfying and surprising denouement in the final chapters.
Pub Date: May 2, 2017
Duration: 11 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781508234715
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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