LAPIDARIUM The Secret Lives of Stones

Nina Wadia crisply narrates this surprisingly fascinating audiobook, subtitled "The Secret Lives of Stones." Wadia's tone reflects the authority and curiosity of the author, a British art critic. The 60 stories explore the origins, uses, and abuses of gems and rocks. Wadia narrates the various histories and cultural appropriations with a smart style, a clear timbre, and precise pronunciation. She performs with the sense of wonder that these intriguing stories merit. Marble is shown as representing the pomp, power, and ultimate decline of Rome; the largest ruby in known history first graced the forehead of an Indian elephant, and Catherine the Great wore her jewels on her bodice. Hettie Judah mines myths, geology, and art history to tell the myriad truths that stones reveal. A.D.M. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2023]