Janina Edwards takes listeners through a fictional account of the life of Maggie Lena Walker and the state of Virginia's Black Wall Street. At an early age, Maggie Lena sees how differently her family is treated compared to the affluent white clients her mother serves with her laundry service. Maggie works hard, starting as a teacher and volunteering for organizations that focus on the financial security of Black individuals. The latter leads to her eventual position as the first Black woman to establish and preside over a bank in the U.S. Edwards's narration captures Walker's strength and determination. Edwards cheerfully shares Walker's optimism and vividly expresses her frustrations with her strong character work.
Pub Date: June 13, 2023
Duration: 8 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781797158402
Publisher: Simon & Schuster 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: 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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