In the late 1990s, critically acclaimed English author Penelope Lively had to sell her country home, which had been in the family since 1925. It is to our benefit that its loss triggered her decision to "see if the private life of a house could be made to bear witness to the public traumas of a century." In a rich, clear voice, Sheila Mitchell gives a nuanced reading of the fascinating story that resulted. It’s a history of nineteenth- and twentieth-century England revealed through familial artifacts. The house’s extensive tulip garden leads Lively to the botanical adventurers who found the unusual specimens. An unused wing of the house reminds her of the London children housed there throughout WWII, and causes her to explore the way in which that temporary but huge migration changed English society forever. I could keep giving examples--far better that you listen yourself.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 6 hrs, 45 mins
Publisher: ISIS Audio Books
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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