New Reviews: Historical Fiction

Tim McInnerny narrates this remarkable historical novel with solid credibility. He chronicles the extraordinary-but-true manhunt for two signatories of the death warrant for King Charles I. In an English accent, he describes the dangerous journey of the regicides, Edward Whalley and his son-in-law, Will Goffe. This is an exciting story, as well as one that is largely accurate.... Read More

Philippa Gregory is one of the best loved writers of historical fiction. In DAWNLANDS, narrator Louise Brearley's firm voice takes listeners to the chaotic world of England in the late 1680s, when James II was king. There are characters from earlier novels in this installment in the Fairmire series, including the villainous but intriguing Livia-- with her syrupy voice and... Read More

Based on the true story of a gang of female shoplifters in 1920s London, this audiobook fictionalizes the criminal success of gang leader Alice Diamond, who rose from poverty to power and luxury. Hannah Curtis portrays Alice's bold audacity in a slightly gritty London accent and provides colorful characterizations of members of her gang. Curtis does well in depicting the... Read More

Sneha Mathan's smooth, warm voice immediately engages listeners with Divakaruni's well-researched and moving novel about the 1947 partition of British colonial India into India and Pakistan. Told from the points of view of three sisters who make starkly different choices during that tumultuous time, the story illuminates the era's hopes and terrors in an emotionally intimate... Read More

Narrator Lucy Rayner settles quickly and assuredly into the character of aristocratic Miss Aleen Isabel Cust who, from the age of 6, is determined to ride and work with horses and other animals. From the late 1870s onward, Cust works tirelessly to overcome the hidebound male establishment and become the first woman veterinary surgeon in Britain and Ireland. Rayner adopts a... Read More

This fascinating historical audiobook makes the sorrows and joys of life before the Civil War come to life. The story of abolitionist John Brown is told from the perspectives of his wife, Mary; his daughter-in-law, Wealthy; and his 15-year-old daughter, Annie. Katharine Charles does a consummate job bringing each of these distinctive female voices to life as each woman... Read More

Golden Voice narrator JD Jackson acts out Krueger's dramatic audio-original novella, which is about the potential breach of a levee, the only thing holding back torrents of water during the unprecedented flooding of the lower Mississippi River in 1927. Four men--three convicts temporarily released and a man named Quince Mobley--arrive by boat and work tirelessly to save the... Read More

Edoardo Ballerini is in excellent form as he provides a gripping performance that captures the backdrop of historical events. Lilith is born into the omnipresent terror of Nazi Germany. Her mother eventually makes the heartbreaking choice to send her, alone, to Cuba, for the possibility of a better life. Once there, Lilith embarks on a second life, never knowing what happened... Read More

Joy Osmanski offers a strong narration of Lee Geum-yi's tale, set in the early twentieth century. Based on the recommendation of a matchmaker, Japanese and Korean women agreed to move to Hawaii to marry prospective grooms, decisions that were based solely on an exchange of photos. Willow considers herself lucky because her betrothed looks like his photo although he's cold and... Read More

Narrator Siobhan Waring delivers Grainger's story of Irish nuns who open a school in Australia in the 1930s. There, portly, outspoken Sister Claire braves extreme heat, hostility, and memorable locals, including Indigenous people. She even challenges conniving Mayor Joseph McGrath, credibly portrayed, over the way he treats the Indigenous community. Waring graphically describes... Read More

Cassandra Campbell adds urgency and vivid characterizations to her melodic narrative voice in this novel about an illusionist during WWII. The plot revolves around young Fenna Vos, who emerged from a difficult Michigan childhood with secrets to conceal, even from herself. After becoming a talented professional magician, she's recruited to join a specialized unit of British... Read More

Olivia Vinall narrates this debut audiobook set in the pre-war English countryside and in WWII Paris. Months after a dead whale washes up on the beach by their home, the children of Chilcombe Manor transform its skeleton into a theater. The theater's annual performances draw increasingly larger audiences until WWII halts the productions. Now adults, the siblings find themselves... Read More

This audiobook is a lively assemblage of literary genres, including historical fiction, magical realism, coming-of-age fiction, and humor. Narrator Lilly Ganser gives voice to Franny Steinberg, who longs to be a stand-up comedian. The story takes place in post-WWII Chicago and moves from a nightclub run by a mobster's wife to the suburban home of a respectable working-class... Read More

This audiobook opens when three young nurses stationed in the Philippines become fast friends at the outset of U.S. involvement in WWII. Saskia Maarleveld captures the naïve optimism of Army nurse Penny, Navy nurse Eleanor, and Filipina nurse Lita in their early, glamorous days together in Manila. With the arrival of the Japanese army, the trio's tropical idyll turns to... Read More

Narrator Danielle Cohen merges lyrical descriptions of 1954 Cornwall with portrayals of intriguing main characters. Burdened by secrets, a mother and daughter must find a new home. Cohen portrays the mother, Magda, with a Polish intonation and tones of sharpness and sarcasm. Magda's determination to renovate a derelict estate is contrasted with the longings and fears of her... Read More