ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD A Book of Hours

This collection of brief (approximately 5-minute), well-turned essays about random interesting points of historical manner and style is organized around the hours of the day, and, occasionally, the months of the year. It’s a challenge in audio form. With the printed version of the book, a reader can turn to the appropriate essay in a moment of reflection at the appropriate time of day. This is much more difficult to do with the audiobook. All the same, the subjects are interesting, even if the listener must hear them in an inflexible sequence. Tavia Gilbert has a strong, clear voice, and she consistently expresses the delight Jenkins hopes her listeners will take in her facts and fancy. Gilbert’s occasional breathy emphasis suits Jenkins’s frothy tone. F.C. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: FEBRUARY 2014]