Discover Most Popular Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical Top Rated

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Title: The Typewriter Girl

Author: Alison Atlee

Narrator: Rosalyn Landor

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-04-14

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

All Betsey Dobson has ever asked is the chance to be viewed on her own merits, but in a mans world, that is the unforgivable sin.

When Betsey disembarks from the London train in the seaside resort of Idensea, all she owns is a small valise and a canary in a cage. After attempting to forge a letter of reference she knew would be denied her, Betsey has been fired from the typing pool of her previous employer. Her vigorous protest left one man wounded, another jilted, and her character permanently besmirched. Now, without money or a reference for her promised job, the future looks even bleaker than the debacle behind her. But her life is about to changebecause a young Welshman on the railroad quay, waiting for another woman, is the one man willing to believe in her.

Mr. Jones is inept in matters of love, but a genius at things mechanical. In Idensea, he has constructed a glittering pier that astounds the wealthy tourists. And in Betsey, he recognizes the ideal tour manager for the Idensea Pier & Pleasure Building Company. After a lifetime of guarding her secrets and breaking the rules, Betsey becomes a force to be reckoned with. Now she faces a challenge of another sort: Not only to outrun her sins, but also to surrender to the reckless tides of love

Members Reviews:

Good read. Fairly predictable but entertaining - worth the ...

Good read. Fairly predictable but entertaining - worth the purchase.

glimpse into a bygone era ...

I enjoyed the story that offered a twist to the age-old story of star-crossed lovers. Learning about customs and mores of that time period added to my interest, but it was hardly a knock-your-socks-off kind of story. A nice quick read w. a little education included.

Great Book!

This is the best book I have read in a long time. The characters were interesting and true to life. I would recommend it for anyone who likes to read. You don't have to be a big fan of historical books. It works well on all levels.

I enjoyed it. The writing is very solid and the ...

Wasn't crazy about the opening of this book, but once it got going, I enjoyed it. The writing is very solid and the story is intriguing.

I so wish I would have sampled this book before purchase

I consider myself fairly intelligent and as a reader, of the voracious variety. I got a few chapters into this book and had to stop. It gave me a headache. I'm not kidding, a headache. Don't know if the author was trying to prove something with this writing style or not, but it was painful. I had to read and reread so many sentences and paragraphs to grasp the intended meaning. She would also jump around. A lot. There was no flow, no congruence, which made for a very annoying read. I was really hoping to enjoy this book too. With not having read the whole book I don't feel I can really say much about the characters, but for the brief time I knew Betsey, she was annoying .

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Title: The Mummifier's Daughter

Subtitle: A Novel in Ancient Egypt

Author: Nathaniel Burns

Narrator: Kevin Clay

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-26-14

Publisher: Heiken Marketing

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 18 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

This is Young Neti-Kertys dream: To follow in her fathers footsteps and become the first female mummifier in Thebes.

Shabaka, the secretive Prefect, the Pharaohs special envoy charged with combating crime in the capital of the Pharaohs empire, also often makes use of Neti Kertys special talents. With her powers of deduction and knowledge of the dead, she has already helped solve many crimes.

But then the unimaginable happens. Her parents are cruelly murdered, and Neti-Kertys small, idyllic world shatters. Together with Shabaka the Prefect, she embarks on the search for her parents murderer. Surviving many shared adventures, they stumble upon a monstrous conspiracy...

The Mummifier's Daughter carries us back to a land steeped in gods, god-kings, ritual and magic. It paints for the reader a detailed picture of Pharaonic Egypt in all its shadowed glory. Faithfully recreating one of the most remarkable eras in Egypts history, bestselling author Nathaniel Burns weaves a shudderingly ominous tale of ancient Egypts mysteries with a cast of characters the modern reader will recognize even though millenia have passed.

So light up the incense, sit close to the light and draw back the curtains on the shadowed past with this gripping tale of love and intrigue among the living and the dead in one of historys most intriguing civilizations.

Members Reviews:

Mummy issues

The Mummifers Daughter, This was a fun book to listen to, nothing heavy to clog up your mind. I did find that the narrator must be a fan of speed reading, he rushes through the story like he had another place to be that was more important. Overall, still enjoyable.

So so story ruined by appalling narrator

This could be a fairly good story but I couldn't get past the second chapter because of the dreadful narration.

Kevin Clay reads it as if he's doing a sensational Sun advert and I kept expecting to hear ' ONLY 99p!!!' at the end of a sentence. He has no inflection in his voice and he reads so fast he's almost babbling (I actually checked to see if I had it at the right speed - I thought I must have accidentally made it x1.5 or 2). There is virtually no difference in the voicing of the different characters, and while he cannot help the hard American accent, it jarred as it had no relation to the story or the time and place of the setting.

Never again

I have listened to three chapters of this drivel and wish I could delete it completely. It is impossible to suspend. reality and enter into this story it is so cluky with unlikely coincidence s.

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Title: The Crook and Flail

Subtitle: The She-King

Author: L. M. Ironside

Narrator: Amanda C. Miller

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-26-14

Publisher: Libbie M. Grant

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 29 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The son of the god must take her rightful place on Egypt's throne.

Hatshepsut longs for power, but she is constrained by her commitment to maat - the sacred order of righteousness, the way things must be. Her mother claims Hatshepsut is destined for Egypt's throne - not as the king's chief wife, but as the king herself, despite her female body. But a woman on the throne defies maat, and even Hatshepsut is not so bold as to risk the safety of the Two Lands for her own ends.

As God's Wife of Amun, she believes she has found the perfect balance of power and maat, and has reconciled herself to contentment with her station. But even that peace is threatened when the powerful men of Egypt plot to replace her. They see her as nothing but a young woman, easily used for their own ends and discarded. But she is the son of the god Amun, and neither her strength nor her will can be so easily discounted.

As the machinations of politics drive her into the hands of enemies and the arms of lovers, onto the battlefield and into the childbed, she comes face to face with maat itself and must decide at last whether to surrender her birthright to a man, or to take up the crook and flail of the Pharaoh, and claim for herself the throne of the king.

Members Reviews:

Excellent reading

The author brings forth images of a historical land. The spell of bringing to life what it was to be part of Egypt and it times of glory.

Book 2 - Astounding!!

Just finished Book 2 of the She-King series and was not disappointed! An incredible historical account of a time in history that we know little about. Libbie Hawker brings it to life with her well researched writing, that allows the reader a glimpse into the lives of legends and historical figures. Now on to Book 3!

Well Written

I was very happy to be included in reading a prepublication version and now that it is here I am thrilled to read the final version.

Ms. Ironside's prose is wonderful and vivid. I am a snob when it comes to Egyptian Historical novels and she does not disappoint as so many others do. She uses many "Kemeteyu" (ancient Egyptian) words in her text and tries very hard to avoid the Greek as it should be. Her description of rooms and scenery is WOW is all I can say!

Her story is a wonderful ride of the life and times of the female ruler Hatshepsut. She has given Hatshepsut a wonderful rich personality and I had a difficult time putting the book down.

I won't give away the plot I just want to say you MUST read it if you love fiction set in ancient Egypt. I put her right up there with Pauline Gedge, Judith Tarr and Lauren Haney!

If you love historical fiction this book is for you

If you love historical fiction this book is for you. It' my favorite genre and this novel really delivered. The characters are beautifully drawn and the author does an excellent job of making them real. The history of ancient Egypt is a subject that many of us find intriguing. Great read. Strongly recommended.

Awesome strong female characters

I love reading books with strong female characters who take charge of their lives as much as they are able to. This was a great book. I very much enjoyed reading it and I would recommend it. It's more than an Egypt story. It's about women who accept their position but use the tools they have available to them to let their intellect and ability shine.

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Title: Hitler's Daughter

Author: Jackie French

Narrator: Caroline Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 7 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-01-14

Publisher: Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 20 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The bombs were falling and the smoke rising from the concentration camps, but all Hitler's daughter knew was the world of lessons with Fraulein Gelber and the hedgehogs she rescued from the cold. Was it just a story or did Hitler's daughter really exist? And If you were Hitler's daughter, would all the horror that occurred be your fault, too? Do things that happened a long time ago still matter?

First published in 1999, Hitler's Daughter has sold over 100,000 copies in Australia alone and has received great critical acclaim, both in Australia and the twelve counties where it has been published.

Critic Reviews:

"A fresh, well-told, and sobering story that needs a wide listening base." (Kirkus Reviews)

"It is a mark of French's genius that she can weave deep moral issues into an engrossing, fast-moving story." (

Canberra Times)

Members Reviews:

Great story, well-told.

I really enjoyed this story. I highly recommend it. It was suspenseful & heart-warming. Excellent!

Amazing!

A Beautiful told story through the eyes of a child. Thought provoking! Would Highly recommend this book

LOVED IT!

Any additional comments?

Assigned for 7th grade English class but the whole family enjoyed listening to and discussing this book

Brilliant!

Loved it then, love it now!

Caroline Lee was made to read this beautifullly sad and touching story by Jackie French!

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Title: The Secret of Magic

Author: Deborah Johnson

Narrator: Peter Francis James

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-27-14

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 89 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In 1946, a young female attorney from New York City attempts the impossible: attaining justice for a black man in the Deep South.

Regina Robichard works for Thurgood Marshall, who receives an unusual letter asking the NAACP to investigate the murder of a returning black war hero. It is signed by M. P. Calhoun, the most reclusive author in the country.

As a child, Regina was captivated by Calhoun's The Secret of Magic, a novel in which white and black children played together in a magical forest.

Once down in Mississippi, Regina finds that nothing in the South is as it seems. She must navigate the muddy waters of racism, relationships, and her own tragic past.

The Secret of Magic brilliantly explores the power of stories and those who tell them.

Critic Reviews:

"Johnson offers a completely engaging southern gothic with unforgettable characters in this fictionalized account of a pivotal NAACP case from the 1940s." (Booklist)

Members Reviews:

A dynamic story about Southerners, black & white

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

It's a well-written story that is captivating and touching about race relations in 1945 Mississippi. It's not "in-your-face" or race-biased. It tells of good and bad, black and white. Johnson is able to reveal the wonders and splendors of the state of Mississippi while delving into its troubled history. There is a light at the end of the race tunnel which foretells the positive evolution that is going-on in the South now.

Living in Mississippi today, I am happy to see so many people of all races reading and loving this book! You will too.

What other book might you compare The Secret of Magic to and why?

The obvious answer is To Kill A Mockingbird because it portrays the love, respect, and bond that all good people, black and white, have for each other in the South. It contrasts this with the hatred, stupidity, and cruel acts of others. Combined, they make for a good and rewarding reading.

What about Peter Francis Jamess performance did you like?

His voice is clear and easy to understand. He shifts easily between black and white voices without stereotyping.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me want to read Johnson's next book.

Any additional comments?

When is the movie coming-out?

John Grisham and Judge Constance Baker Motley would be proud

I was surprised that a book written by a woman with two female protagonists was read by a man, but he did an excellent job. The story was wonderful and very evocative of the time it's based in.

I didn't want it to end!

What made the experience of listening to The Secret of Magic the most enjoyable?

Deborah Johnson's writing is so amazingly vivid. It's like I was watching a movie. I can't wait until the movie comes out, by the way. I love the story. I loved every detail of this book, and usually I like to skim over some details.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I found all the characters interesting. Often in a book there will be a character about whom I am not intrigued or disgusted. I was intrigued by all her characters. I cared about them all.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. I wanted to savor it for a long time. I wish it hadn't ended.

Any additional comments?

Peter Francis James is unbelievable!!!! I have never heard a better narrator.

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Title: Land Girls

Author: Angela Huth

Narrator: Caroline Lennon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 12-23-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 44 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

With the country's men at war, it falls to the land girls to pitch in and do their bit....

Stella arrives at Hallows Farm in her Rayon stockings, having just waved goodbye to the love of life - naval officer Philip. Agatha has just graduated from Cambridge; life on the Farm is certainly going to offer her a different kind of education. Prue, a hairdresser from Manchester, is used to painting the town red, not manual labour. Joe dreams of leaving the family farm and becoming a fighter pilot. But with the arrival of these three beautiful young women, there's enough to keep him busy on the farm for the time being....

Work is hard and the effects of war start to take their toll on the three women. But as the bonds of friendship start to form and excitement builds as the RAF dance looms, maybe life in the countryside isn't so bad after all?

Angela Huth has written 11 novels, four collections of short stories as well as plays for radio, TV, and the stage. Two of her earlier novels - Virginia Fly Is Drowning and Sun Child - she adapted for the BBC and Land Girls was made into the 1998 feature film The Land Girls. She is also a well-known freelance journalist, critic, and broadcaster. She is married to a don, lives in Oxford and has two daughters.

Members Reviews:

Thank Goodness for an Epilogue

Would you try another book from Angela Huth and/or Caroline Lennon?

No.

Would you ever listen to anything by Angela Huth again?

I was not impressed with her writing style.

Did Caroline Lennon do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

I was not impressed with the narration and do not think Lennon did a good job in differentiating the characters. Huth on the other hand did an okay job in using character voice in writing to let the reader distinguish the Land Girls personality.

Could you see Land Girls being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I heard that this book was made into a movie. I was not enamored with the plot and do not think I would waste my time to see the movie.

Any additional comments?

This book was definitely not one of my favorite listen. I was very bored with the mundane events that took place in the year that the Land Girls worked on the farm during the second world war. I got the picture very quickly that a lot of "love" took place because of the not knowing what the future had to bring these young people. Thank goodness there was an epilogue for that tied up very loose ends and said "The End". The epilogue was the best part of the book.

the land girls

the land girls was very good I loved the story of it wished is did not end

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Title: The Naked Marquis

Author: Sally Mackenzie

Narrator: Karen Asconi

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-22-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 65 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

As marriage proposals go, Charles Draysmith's suit is as romantic as the moors in December. Emma Peterson might be only a vicar's daughter, and he the new Marquis of Knightsdale, and perhaps he would rather marry her than endure the marriage mart. But when he suggests how much he'll enjoy securing an heir, well, a lady can only endure so much. But the Lady is passionate. There's something about a woman throwing pottery at a man that piques his interest. Perhaps his proposal lacks grace, Charles thinks. But it does seem a perfect solution. He acquires a wife; his young charges have the mother they so desperately need, and Emma gains security and position. You see? Simple. Practical. Sensib - oh no, not the ceramic dogHe will have to confess the truth to calm her down. And the truth is, he's madly in love

Members Reviews:

Just Silly

Any additional comments?

It's a romance and I do not expect more than a good bit of entertainment. However, given the good ratings I did expect more. The humor was not witty but silly. The love scenes were not sensual but rather blunt. The dialog was not natural or believable. Some dialog was even crude. Unfortunately the narrator did not make it any better. The narrator was not bad, but not very good either. Didn't give the characters personality.

I listened to two books from this series and both came up short. Will not listen/read anything by this Author again.

A similar version of book one

The story is quite similar to book one. Both heroines are naive, ridiculously so. In some of the scenes, this heroine's lines could have been read in the 4 year old's voice. That's how naive she sounded. The heros in both stories ask for the ladies hands in marriage in the first scene and the villains are both obvious in identity right from the start. No guessing games there. The heroines both resist the marriage vows until about 2 hours prior to the end after which point the villains strike and then all things right themselves and the world is good again. This was a complete waist of my time. I could not wait to finish it while at the same time I was hoping the story would suddenly change and become more enticing to listen to. No such luck.

Great read..

Any additional comments?

I have to agree with the 2 star review on Amazon about Emma being sooo naive. Her 17 year old sister, Meg, seemed to know more than Emma did. But it was still a great read/listen, I really liked Charles and it was nice to see Sarah, James and Robbie again. I think what made this such a good read/listen was having a little mystery and murder along with the love story. I do get tired of just a silly love story with sooo many misunderstandings and sooo much angst, it makes for such a long-winded story and sooo much boring reading/listening.

This was so much better. Stockley was such a creep from his first appearence then all the way through the book. He was a great bad-guy. Now, it's time to read Robbie's story.

As to the narrator: I have definitely heard worse but there are some that are sooo much better. Most of the time she really didn't even lower he voice to sound manly, she just sorta read the book. She had no emotion, and that really does suck! Overall, not a very good narrator. That's probably why I won't listen the last book, The Naked King. It's narrated by Pearl Hewitt and I really can't abide her reading.

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Title: Soldier of the Horse

Author: Robert Mackay

Narrator: Paul Christy

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-16-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Winnipeg, 1914.

Tom Macrae is working on his law degree and enjoying the company of his sweetheart, Ellen. When the call to arms comes, both Tom and Ellen are torn from their secure, settled lives in the prairie city. Tom finds himself hunched in the trenches, amid the mud and horror of the Great War, while Ellen faces an uncertain future in Toms absence.

His prospects bleak, Tom serves with the Canadian Cavalry Brigade, in the thick of the stalemated struggles on the Western Front. In addition to the soldiers comradeship, Tom discovers the strong bonds of trust between the soldiers and their horses. With his own horse as his closest companion, he dodges a hurricane of shells, machine guns and swords, and in the clamour, faces his finest hour.Inspired by his own fathers story and letters about fighting in Picardy, France, Robert W. Mackay has written a novel that brings to life the great military history and traditions of the Canadian Cavalry.

Editorial Reviews:

Narrator Paul Christy's mature voice provides a calm and steady pace to this story set in early 20th-century Canada. Law student Tom Macrae has been falsely accused of a crime, and given a choice between going to jail or off to the trenches of the Great War, Tom reluctantly chooses to fight. Just before he is shipped out to England, he meets the love of his life, only to be torn away from her. Christy's performance is moving and realistic, and he portrays the gamut of Tom's emotions - from hopeful joy to horror and bleak resignation - with sensitivity.

Members Reviews:

A uniquely Canadian look at WWI

Hopefully the title of review doesnt put people off, as many things considered Canadian get passed over immediately. Living in the shadow of the US has its downside.

I had a hard time rating this book. I wanted to give the story 3 stars for the fact that it was predictable and without any real surprises and twists. The surprise in the story centres on the reason the hero signs up (to avoid jail) and the subsequent resolution of the one sided feud that resulted from the crime that lead him to the army.

Why I did give the story 4 stars was for the solid writing style and the unique topic covered. There arent a lot of fictional books out there covering WWI and Canadas part in the War. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say this novel rose from a family research project the author was working on. The name of the hero is one syllable removed from the author, and much of the information on Canadian soldiers in WWI is easily researched. Enrolment and service records, as well as unit war diaries, are all available online now through Library Archive Canada. It is from this information that I believe the author shaped a novel.

In this regard, he did a good job. Lots of little details were included, such as equipment, as well as accurate portrayals of the class structure and societal attitudes of the period. There was one area, however, where I think the author applied current Canadian attitudes to the story, and that was fabricating the line that the only reason a white male Canadian of good societal standing would join is if he were forced to by the law. The other members of the book in the army were predominately English immigrants (this is historically accurate, as most English immigrants signed up for the Motherland), Métis, and other undesirables of the period.

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Title: Flight to Canada

Author: Ishmael Reed

Narrator: Vince Bailey

Format: Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-30-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 13 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Brilliantly portrayed by a novelist with "a talent for hyperbole and downright yarning unequaled since Mark Twain", (Saturday Review), this slave's-eye view of the Civil War exposes America's racial foibles of the past and present with uninhibited humor and panache.

Mixing history, fantasy, political reality, and comedy, Ishmael Reed spins the tale of three runaway slaves and the master determined to catch them. His on-target parody of fugitive-slave narratives and other literary forms includes a hero who boards a jet bound for Canada; Abraham Lincoln waltzing through slave quarters to the tune of "Hello, Dolly"; and a plantation mistress entranced by TV's Beecher Hour. Filled with insights into the political consciences (or lack thereof) of both blacks and whites, Flight to Canada confirms Reed's status as "a great writer" (James Baldwin).

Members Reviews:

hilarious

I assume that the only folks looking up Ishmael Reed are literary types anyway, but anyone familiar with the history of slave narratives will find this "revision" wonderful. Postmodernism at its best. Also, hats off to the very entertaining narrator.

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Title: The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon

Subtitle: The Sephardic Cycle, Book 1

Author: Richard Zimler

Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins

Language: English

Release date: 07-23-13

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 24 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The Last Kabbalist ofLisbon, an international best seller, is an extraordinary novel that transports listeners into the universe of Jewish Kabbalah during the Lisbon massacre of April 1506. Just a few years earlier, Jews living in Portugal were dragged to the baptismal font and forced to convert to Christianity. Many of these New Christians persevered in their Jewish prayers and rituals in secret and at great riskthe hidden, arcane practices of the kabbalists, a mystical sect of Jews, continued as well.

©2013 Richard Zimler (P)2013 Blackstone Audio

Members Reviews:

Readily readable, interesting evocation of Kabbalism during the Inquisition.

It's a complicated murder mystery. I don't often read murder mysteries, but it was recommended for its evocation of the Kabbalist movement during the Inquisition. It is well written, pleasant, easily flowing and, assuming that it is accurate (the probability is that it is--the geography is accurate) an interesting education.

Will never forget

This is a topic which is near and dear to my heart. It's not for everyone, but it is historically correct and gives an insider's look to the pain and suffering of Iberian Jews during the riots, pogroms, and expulsion. The book is filled with the horrific details of slaughter , burning at the stake, burning in hot oil, torture of every imaginable way a person could create to hurt another human being.

Some people gave in and converted to save their families, others chose death. Persecution, love, family, Judaism, history..this book has it all. Well written and researched, a true story come to life through the pen of Richard Zimler.

A mystery set in Lisbon during a dark period in Portugal's history

I decided to read this book as we were traveling through Spain and Portugal, ending in Lisbon. In addition. the Inquisition was such an important part of the history of both these countries, and it was interesting to read an account of how this horrific period impacted the daily lives of people, in particular the Jews, but also the Muslims. I found the writing a bit challenging, as the author tried to remain true to the use of language in the 16th century. Also, I had some difficulty keeping the characters straight, especially reading this on my iPad without easy ability to flip back and forth to re-read who someone was and how they related. But overall, I found it a very interesting and worthwhile read to learn about the Inquisition and life in Lisbon at that time.

Often very gripping

But sometimes the plot loses speed. The author knows his Jewish tradition very well and in great detail.

I caught only two errors that were not typos

Tallis - in Sephardi transliteration should be tallit. The author gives the Ashkenazi pronunciation instead.

Tu Bisvat - should be Tu Bishvat.

I started reading The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon while visiting ...

I started reading The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon while visiting that city. The horror of the pogrom which is the basis for the story hangs over the city for anyone who knows about it but goes almost without notice for most people. The book breathes life into the corners and squares of the mass murder.