New Reviews: Historical Fiction

This audiobook brings to life eighteenth-century Kingsbridge, England, where class warfare engulfs workers who are seeking security amid owners who value progress over people. Narrated skillfully by Golden Voice John Lee, the latest Follett novel offers superb dialogue, fascinating relationships, and characters from varying religions, classes, and political perspectives. The... Read More

Three talented narrators transport listeners from the 14th to the 21st century as Jones's novel reveals the struggles of women to be seen and heard throughout history. Elisabeth Lagelée, the voice of Beatrice, speaks with intelligence and determination as Beatrice struggles to achieve her artistic dreams in the face of society's limited expectations. Mia Barron brings the... Read More

Jayne Entwistle's solid delivery adds depth to this quirky tale of a girl who is trapped in her family's tumbledown theater. In 1901, in Norwich, England, 12-year-old Edith can't ever leave the theater because of a curse. If she leaves, she'll die, and the playhouse will crumble to dust. Entwistle sounds just odd enough to be believable as Edith, who spends her days obsessively... Read More

There are many things to love about this retelling of Shakespeare's ROMEO AND JULIET, and Sheila Atim's narration is one of them. This feminist prequel to the well-known romance shares the story of Rosaline Capulet and her encounter with Romeo as he tries his best to woo her. Atim's tonal variations and vocal range allow listeners to relax and examine this new perspective. When... Read More

Four intrepid narrators perform this creative retelling of the Trojan War from three Trojan women's perspectives plus a bird's-eye view from "the Hawk" and Cassandra. Narrator Saskia Maarleveld voices Prince Hector's wife, strong-willed Amazonian Andromache. Vainglorious Helen of Sparta, whose capture by Paris launched this ten-year war, is portrayed by Hillary Huber. The... Read More

Welsh actress Perdita Weeks gives a spirited performance as Jezebel, the infamous Old Testament queen of Israel. Born in the neighboring kingdom of Tyre (now Lebanon), she is married off to Ahab, the king of Israel. Weeks captures Jezebel's imperious nature and sense of entitlement with a haughty accent. Yet she also imbues Jezebel with warmth and humanity; when Jezebel speaks... Read More

Lovers of Renaissance art will enjoy this lengthy, detailed, and thoroughly researched audiobook about Florentine and other masterworks hidden during WWII. Two experienced narrators, Stina Nielsen and Christa Lewis, portray the two women who tell the story, namely a German photographer and an American stenographer. Both women become passionate about preserving the art, which is... Read More

This audiobook puts into practice the idea that speaking quietly can have a more significant impact than shouting. Ward herself provides the quiet, gentle voice that tells the story of Annis, a young slave. With a patient, calm delivery, Ward narrates Annis's journey from North Carolina to New Orleans, and, while her tribulations are heartbreaking in themselves, somehow Ward's... Read More

Millie Bobby Brown masterfully presents a story inspired by her grandmother's experiences in England during WWII. Listeners meet Nellie Morris as the war rages around her. Brown skillfully changes her delivery as the story demands. She's at her best introducing precious 7-year-old Flora and neighbor Billy, whose love for Nellie is heartbreaking and life-affirming. Evocative... Read More

Nneka Okoye delivers a lively performance as African Princess Aina, who is kidnapped and taken to Victorian England. Aina, showing intelligence beyond her years, is saved from slavery, renamed Sarah, and given to Queen Victoria as a "gift." Okoye presents a charming, spirited child who grows into an appealing woman. Sarah spends her formative years as the Queen's goddaughter,... Read More

Barrie Kreinik masterfully meets the challenge of voicing men, women and children from the British Isles, Europe, Australia, and America to bring to life the emotional rollercoaster of enduring WWII. Kreinik's nuanced performance shines as Madeline Grant evolves from a timid student at the Sorbonne, to a wife and mother, and finally to a courageous British spy. Kreinik's... Read More

Libby McKnight elegantly narrates a fictionalized history of the courtship and marriage of widow Edith Bolling Galt and the 28th U.S. president, widower Woodrow Wilson. McKnight delivers the deeply personal exchanges between the couple with a perfect understanding of the exquisitely romantic Wilson and the uncertain Galt. This period piece culls from official documents and... Read More

Joniece Abbott-Pratt masterfully re-creates a 1950s Florida reformatory in this story based on a relative of author Tananarive Due and other actual people and events. Listeners meet 12-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., and Gloria, his 16-year-old sister, after Robbie is arrested for defending her from a white boy. While in the segregated reform school, Robbie experiences and... Read More

Imogen Wilde's impeccable narration will keep listeners glued to this lengthy audiobook. In 1730, seven-year-old Red and her father use the mysterious Square of Sevens to tell fortunes through playing cards. Before his death, Red's father entrusts her care to an upstanding gentleman, also passing along the coveted secret to the Square of Sevens. Wilde wraps listeners in Red's... Read More

January LaVoy gives Canadian author Julianne MacLean's compelling historical novel an expert performance. Scarlett Fontaine was a Hollywood legend before her untimely death. Gwen Hollingsworth, a distant relative, is curator of a museum dedicated to Scarlett memorabilia. Photojournalist Peter Miller arrives at Gwen's museum with the goal of verifying that Scarlett was in... Read More

Samantha Tan masterfully narrates a complex story set in Malaya during the British and Japanese occupations. The novel centers around Cecily and her children, Abel, Jujube, and Jasmin, as they navigate life under colonial rule and later, under harsh Japanese control. Initially a spy against British rule, Cecily dreams of an "Asia for Asians." However, the grim reality of life... Read More