In a thick Australian accent, narrator David Tredinnick begins Keneally’s inquiry into how the remnants of Napoleon’s largess end up in New South Wales among the family goods of Betsy Balcombe. How did they get to Australia, and how were the Balcombes associated with the French emperor? The story unfolds through Betsy Balcombe’s diary, which is read by Edwina Wren in a mélange of British accents mixed with the French of St. Helena, where Napoleon was exiled. Wren’s smooth and soothing tones draw the listener into this detailed first-person account of Napoleon’s military career, defeat, and exile, and the Balcombes’ relationship with the emperor. Tredinnick reappears in the concluding chapter of Betsy Balcombe’s life in Australia. Keneally’s fans will devour this enchanting novel of Napoleon’s last days.
Pub Date: April 15, 2016
Duration: 15 hrs
Publisher: Bolinda 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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