Fans of Austen will enjoy getting to the hearts of these iconic characters.
Charlotte from Pride and Prejudice takes center stage in this novel. Author Parris smoothly weaves in all the familiar characters, adding background to explain their personalities and motivations and, as narrator, conveys a wide range of emotions. The occasions when Charlotte writes to her friend Elizabeth Bennet are particularly effective on audio. Listeners hear the rustle of paper and the scratch of pen across page as Charlotte writes, scratches out, and rewrites, wrestling with frustrations and a desire to reconcile. Narrator George Blagden injects Mr. Collins’ voice with the sanctimonious tone of a man who considers himself morally superior even as he struggles with his own human failings.
Fans of Austen will enjoy getting to the hearts of these iconic characters.Pub Date: Nov. 4, 2025
Duration: 12 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668655405
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Feb. 17, 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
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
