THE EIGHTS

What a treat it is to listen to Alix Dunmore's splendid narration of this novel about the first class of women to matriculate at Oxford University in 1920. The story revolves around four young women who all reside on Corridor 8. Dunmore portrays aristocratic Ottoline, the ringleader of the group, with a posh London accent and an imposing intonation. Beatrice, the daughter of a famous suffragist, has boundless intellectual curiosity but longs for female friendship. Athletic, gracious Dora struggles with the university's academic demands. Dunmore captures the guardedness of kindhearted Marianne, the only child of a widowed clergyman, who is hiding a secret from her friends. Dunmore impressively conveys the value of female friendship as the four negotiate their demanding academic environment. M.J. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2025]