Tavia Gilbert tells Emma's story, reading from the journal of this fictional character and giving her a believable voice with a wide range of emotions. Shelly Wood places 17-year-old Emma, a midwife-in-training, at the northern Ontario farm of the Dionne family when the world was captivated by the birth of five identical baby girls. Emma has a young, eager voice full of excitement and pride in her role of caring for the girls. A tone of superiority and judgment infuses her voice as she observes the parents trying to regain a role in the girls' lives. The girls have childlike voices, and the other characters also sound realistic. Excerpts from archival news stories that give historical context are read in an authoritative voice.
Pub Date: March 5, 2019
Duration: 11 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062897466
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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