Thom Rivera narrates Herrera's latest novel, which features Benito Juarez, the first Indigenous president of Mexico, who was in office from 1858 to 1872. This short yet unhurried work takes place in the 18 months of Juarez's exile in New Orleans. He funds his exile with odd jobs and spends his days drinking coffee with fellow outcasts. Rivera's clear narration delivers flawless pronunciations of Spanish and French vocabulary. With little vocal distinction between characters, Rivera amplifies Juarez's feverish view of New Orleans. While Juarez finds his own version of freedom, he observes the injustices of slavery, which makes up much of the city's commerce. At times cerebral, this novel reimagines a pivotal time in Mexico's history.
Pub Date: 2024
Duration: 4 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798892744539
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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:
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:
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Audio Literature
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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