Narrator Jonathan Keeble's mastery of Tim Pears's quietly beautiful and evocative writing is one of the many pleasures in this final installment of his West Country Trilogy. Set in rural southwest England in the early 1900s, the audiobooks conjure the pace, sounds, and sights of a lost world. Following the intertwining lives of Leo, the carpenter's son, and Lottie, the daughter of the local estate, this volume brings us to WWI and beyond in a story that is absorbing, undramatic, and deeply satisfying. Keeble's warm, melodious narration could float on the air of a late summer afternoon in the Devon countryside. And he colors Pears's detailed character studies with telling accents and personality, creating a world in which one wishes to forever remain.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2019
Duration: 9 hrs
Publisher: ISIS Audio Books
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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