What becomes of the wealthy when their wealth is suddenly gone? This is the question that interests Ausebel in her novel of a New England family in the 1960s and 1970s. Elisabeth Rodgers is a skilled narrator who is able to give some semblance of emotion to these spoiled, basically unlikable, characters. The story opens during relaxed days on Martha's Vineyard before the family's lack of money is discovered, and Rodgers's narration is similarly languid. In fact, the speed of the narration is slow enough that it occasionally becomes distracting. In the end, the poky pace and off-putting characters thwart a good listening experience.
Pub Date: 2016
Duration: 10 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781504719117
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
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:
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:
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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