In seventeenth-century Delft, poor, Protestant, 16-year-old Griet must go to work in the Catholic household of Johannes Vermeer. A novel as detailed as the paintings of the Delft Master is read by Ruth Ann Phimister with care and wonderment. Griet and Vermeer grow close as she cleans his studio, grinds white lead, and eventually poses for him. The household is not privy to this intimacy, but Vermeer's wife, Catherina, and daughter, Marta, grow suspicious and jealous. Filled with characters from all strata of society, the story carries the listener on a voyage of time and culture. Phimister does not have to deal with much dialogue. This is a reminiscence, and Griet is a silent and pensive girl, but the overall flow of the reading is charming, entrancing, and engrossing. The finest way to listen to this beautifully crafted book is to have a Vermeer catalog at hand. The Concert, used in the novel to hide the fact that Vermeer is simultaneously painting Griet, was stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and is still missing.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2000
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
An astonishingly unique historical novel, which begins in Trinidad in the 1940s, this is an example of the best that an audiobook can offer. The two narrators, Ron Butler and Bahni Turpin, are superb choices who move the listener smoothly between the two main characters. Farook and Marcia Garcia are star-crossed lovers who don’t have fate on their side. Turpin evokes the rhythms of English as spoken in Trinidad, lyrical, and rhythmic. Through her confident narrative style, Marica Garcia comes across as a strong, beleaguered young woman. Her trials evoke empathy in the listener. Butler establishes the contorted choices that face Farook as an Indian man who is prevented by racism from marrying his true love. This sprawling tale spans Trinidad and the United States, from the 1940s-1960s.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2015
Duration: 13 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In this stand-alone novel set during the Hundred Years' War, Thomas of Hookton, hero of Cornwell's Grail Quest trilogy, returns with his band of mercenaries in pursuit of the sword of Saint Peter—a holy relic said to bestow great power. Naturally, others are also in pursuit and are determined to win the sword at any cost. Jack Hawkins delivers a stunning performance of this dramatic novel of political intrigue and military battle. Throughout, he effortlessly distinguishes characters from all over Western Europe through various accents. Hawkins's thoughtful reading reveals the emotions of the characters, enhancing their portrayals. His performance is full of energy during Cornwell's signature battle scenes, offering the listener a visceral experience of war.
Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2013
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780062209344
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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