New Reviews: Historical Fiction

This moving audiobook imagining Lady Macbeth's early life receives extraordinary narrations by Angus King and Ell Potter. Ten years before the events of Shakespeare's play, "The Lady," at 15, is forced to marry the brutish Mormaer of Moray. They have a son, "The Boy," who displeases his sadistic father. Macbeth kills Moray in battle, occupies his castle, then falls in love with... Read More

Pete Cross performs this debut novel of a star-crossed love affair between minister Nathaniel Whitfield and physician Arthur Lyman in Puritan New England. As his congregation whispers about his relationship with Arthur and their wives begin to suspect what's going on behind closed doors, Nathaniel prays for an "Awakening" but fears his love for Arthur has brought God's... Read More

An inspiring original story gets a five-star narration from Lynnette R. Freeman. Her character voices are so believable this audiobook sounds like a full-cast recording. Sanite and her daughter, Ady, run from the brutality of John du Marche's slave labor camp--also known as a plantation. Separated when Sanite is recaptured, Ady endures hardship alone in the woods. Eventually,... Read More

An all-star ensemble of historical fiction authors and talented narrators make this collection excellent listening. Each short story features a compelling female character who is breaking barriers, pushing back against limiting expectations, and finding her power. The stories span decades and showcase characters impacted by war, artistic and social movements, cultural shifts,... Read More

Sneha Mathan gives a dramatic performance of this story about Ganga, the Hindu mythological goddess of the river. Mathan's resonant voice adds emotional depth to her portrayal of Ganga, who experiences mortality before she is transformed back into a goddess who is unable to shed her bonds with the human experience--or the mortal son she has been forced to leave behind. Through... Read More

Cassandra Campbell brings her usual insightful delivery to Baker's multilayered family drama. Campbell is an experienced, steady narrator with a smooth, consistent delivery. She adds nuance to Cecily Larson, subtly aging her from the 4-year-old who's been deserted by her mother, through growing up and adulthood, and ending with the 94-year-old matriarch whose "hidden life" is... Read More

Dominic Hoffman narrates this reimagining of ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN, but this time Jim tells his own story. When Jim learns that he's going to be sold to someone downriver, he flees, leaving behind his wife and daughter. But he soon finds himself tangled up with Huckleberry Finn, a white boy who is always getting into the worst sorts of trouble. Jim is practiced at... Read More

Janina Edwards is impressive in her ability to create believable women, each with her own attitude and personality. Two very different Black women heed the call to serve when the U.S. enters WWII. Leila, a single mother, and Dorothy, a college librarian, leave their ordinary lives behind and enlist in the Women's Army Corps. Despite their differences, the women's friendship... Read More

Emily Howes's debut novel examines the lives of Peg and Molly Gainsborough, daughters of the renowned portrait artist Thomas Gainsborough. Gemma Lawrence gives Peg a strong, determined voice as she recounts Peg's close, protective ties with her troubled older sister, Molly. Lawrence's subtle changes in emphasis and volume communicate Molly's distance and confusion. As Peg... Read More

Barrie Kreinik narrates the story of Helen Montgomery, the beautiful daughter of a blue-blood Philadelphia family in 1927 who would rather raise cattle than seek a husband. With elegance and a touch of innocence, Kreinik portrays Helen's frustration when she realizes that she must abandon her dream and marry for money and connections because of the financial crisis caused by... Read More

Two accomplished narrators, Saskia Maarleveld and Katharine Chin, set forth this story of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and the people caught up in its devastation. Both narrators are skilled at portraying emotions, revving up suspense, and mastering many varieties of accents and dialects. Maarleveld 's urbane and sonorous voice brings to life the ambitious opera... Read More

The most appealing feature of this audiobook by Margo Livesey is Ell Potter's spirited rendering of the characters' Scottish accents. Potter captures the atmosphere of late-nineteenth-century Scottish country life and her young heroine's uncertain grasp of her gift of precognition. Livesey, best known for her previous novel THE BOY IN THE FIELD, stands at the opposite pole from... Read More

Like the captain of a historical sailing ship, Ralph Lister takes command of this sprawling 1975 bestseller about culture clash. He gives a tough, resilient voice to the hero, Captain John Blackthorne, while providing memorable voices for the dozens of characters ranging from Japanese samurai and courtesans to Spanish and Portuguese people. In 1600, after losing his ship and... Read More

Nancy Wu brings emotion and depth to this sweeping saga, which follows generations of Chinese immigrants, male and female, through multiple trials in the American West. The fresh perspective brings more fullness to history through a railroad worker and a young woman who is sexually trafficked in San Francisco. Wu's talent allows the listener to stay in the story as she portrays... Read More

Narrator Max Meyers grabs attention and holds it throughout Schaffert's exploration of a group of ticketed passengers who never boarded the TITANIC for its maiden voyage. Bookstore owner Yorick, Japanese American candy heiress Zinnia, and handsome photographer Haze meet at a gathering of TITANIC "survivors," folks who missed the boat. As Yorick becomes enamored with Haze, a... Read More

Kristin Atherton brings a regal ambiance to this compelling historical fiction featuring Mary, Queen of Scots. After the rebellion of her Scottish lords, Mary is imprisoned in remote Lochleven Castle with three of her ladies-in-waiting. Pregnant and forced to abdicate, Mary suffers her plight, all the while plotting her escape. Atherton's delivery reflects the escalating... Read More

Narrators Angus King, Katy Townsend, and Tavia Gilbert excel at telling this powerful story. In 1878 Scotland, Samuel saves Hailey's brother, sparking a secret romance despite their class differences. When Hailey's father's financial downfall forces her family to emigrate to Seattle, Samuel sets off to find her. Against the backdrop of Washington Territory, their story... Read More