Janina Edwards is impressive in her ability to create believable women, each with her own attitude and personality. Two very different Black women heed the call to serve when the U.S. enters WWII. Leila, a single mother, and Dorothy, a college librarian, leave their ordinary lives behind and enlist in the Women's Army Corps. Despite their differences, the women's friendship insulates them from the military's inherent racism and the hardships and danger they face. Edwards uses an edgy sarcasm to stave off painful truths and a matter-of-fact tone to present the drudgery of sorting the thousands of pieces of mail received by the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, the only Black WACs to serve overseas. Edwards's performance makes the women's friendship the highlight of this audiobook.
Pub Date: Feb. 27, 2024
Duration: 6 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780063307964
Publisher: Harper 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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