From Civil War days until the 1930s, Hennie Comfort savors the joys of Colorado mountain life. As the protagonist prepares to leave her home to reside with her daughter, a young woman moves to the gold-dredging town. As Hennie shares survival secrets and long-hidden stories, she reveals surprising tales of her youth. Maggi-Meg Reed brings to mind a wise and cherished grandmother in her depiction of Hennie, complete with a timeworn raspiness. As the story moves across the years, however, there is little distinction between Hennie’s youthful and mature voices. Innocence and delight in discovery spark Reed’s reading of young Nit. As the women bond, the listener is treated to a beautiful portrayal of female lives in a challenging time and place.
Pub Date: April 14, 2009
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: Macmillan 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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