Download Best Sellers Audiobooks in Fiction, Historical

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Title: Our Own Country

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Jodi Daynard

Narrator: Cristina Panfilio

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-23-16

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 513 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A love affair tests a new nation's revolutionary ideals.

In 1770s Boston, a prosperous merchant's daughter, Eliza Boylston, lives a charmed life - until war breaches the walls of the family estate and forces her to live in a world in which wealth can no longer protect her.

As the chaos of the Revolutionary War tears her family apart, Eliza finds herself drawn to her uncle's slave, John Watkins. Their love leads to her exile in Braintree, Massachusetts, home to radicals John and Abigail Adams and Eliza's midwife sister-in-law, Lizzie Boylston. But even as the uprising takes hold, Eliza can't help but wonder whether a rebel victory will grant her and John the most basic of American rights.

Members Reviews:

BRAVO!!!!

Love Love LOVE this book. Finally now understand and respect Eliza. She is a hero and a fighter. it opens with her saying once she became bad she was good...so flipping true.

YOU MUST READ THE MIDWIFE'S REVOLT FIRST

I can't wait for the 3rd book from Johnny's POV

Surprisingly Quick and Easy Listen

I had no intention of listening to "Our Own Country" all in one go (or as much as possible). I've pretty much been on a non-fiction kick for a really, really long time, so a novel just didn't seem like it'd do much for me. Plus, I have "The Midwife's Revolt" but haven't really managed to get around to listening to it, so strike two, right? And then there's the fact that this book seems to be a bit, NOT that there's anything wrong with it, but kind of, Chick Lit-ish (I like Chick Lit, just not in the mood currently).

So how the hell did I manage to listen to Jodi Daynard's new book every chance I got, finishing it, asap? Well, excellent narration was key. Cristina Panfilio, while having rather a girlish voice, really comes through on accents and different intonations; she does a really decent job with men's voices too, nothing awful and gravelly. Jolly good job.

And it really, really helps, to me, at least, that this historical fiction had enough history (kinda light, tho', but enough) thrown in, to keep things interesting. (Loved the references to small pox!)

But I suppose what saves the day is that, while this could and is indeed sometimes predictable, there are enough things that happen that I just didn't see coming. And I haaate relationship dramas with long, drawn out love scenes; I much prefer characters showing their affection in actions rather than in steam.

The ending is rather neat and pat, I would've preferred a bit more struggle, but there you go, that's what was chosen, and if you're into the sweet stuff, you won't be disappointed (I hope that wasn't a spoiler... it's all pretty tidy throughout the book).

I honestly don't know how the book'll play out to non-Caucasians: White woman is ultra-friend to the slave classes, ultimately saves the day, where would we be without her strength?

Still, I obviously found it to be totally engaging enough to rip me away from my beloved non-fiction for a couple of days...! Strong, strong, well-defined, fully fleshed-out women characters; some intricate plot twists and political intrigue; romance galore: what's not to love?

The Midwife's Revolt Repeated

I really did not love this book.

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Title: The Vatican Princess

Subtitle: A Novel of Lucrezia Borgia

Author: C. W. Gortner

Narrator: Julia Whelan

Format: Unabridged

Length: 16 hrs and 3 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-09-16

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 678 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

For fans of Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir, best-selling author C. W. Gortner effortlessly weaves history and drama in this captivating novel about one of the world's most notorious families.

Glamorous and predatory, the Borgias fascinated and terrorized 15th-century Renaissance Italy, and Lucrezia Borgia, beloved daughter of the pope, was at the center of the dynasty's ambitions. Slandered as a heartless seductress who lured men to their doom, was she in fact the villainess of legend, or was she trapped in a familial web, forced to choose between loyalty and survival?

With the ascension of the Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI, a new era has dawned in Rome. Benefitting from their father's elevation are the new pope's illegitimate children - his rival sons, Cesare and Juan, and beautiful young daughter, Lucrezia - each of whom assumes an exalted position in the papal court. Privileged and adored, Lucrezia yearns to escape her childhood and play a part in her family's fortunes.

But Rome is seductive and dangerous: Alliances shift at a moment's notice as Italy's ruling dynasties strive to keep rivals at bay. As Lucrezia's father faces challenges from all sides, the threat of a French invasion forces him to marry her off to a powerful adversary. But when she discovers the brutal truth behind her alliance, Lucrezia is plunged into a perilous gambit that will require all her wits, cunning, and guile. Escaping her marriage offers the chance of happiness with a passionate prince of Naples, yet as scandalous accusations of murder and incest build against her, menacing those she loves, Lucrezia must risk everything to overcome the lethal fate imposed upon her by her Borgia blood.

Beautifully wrought, rich with fascinating historical detail, The Vatican Princess is the first novel to describe Lucrezia's coming of age in her own voice. What results is a dramatic, vivid tale set in an era of savagery and unparalleled splendor, where enemies and allies can be one and the same and where loyalty to family can ultimately be a curse.

Critic Reviews:

"Elegantly written and deeply researched, with a pacy style and a fine eye for contemporary detail.... The world of Renaissance Italy is vividly brought to life - I'm captivated by this knowledgeable author's take on the controversial Borgias." (Alison Weir, New York Times best-selling author of Katherine of Aragon, the True Queen)

"A spiderweb of Renaissance intrigue with a cast of legendary characters, The Vatican Princess tells Lucrezia Borgia's story in her own words. Impressive research, a lush background, and deft characterization of these turbulent times make for a fascinating read." (Margaret George, New York Times best-selling author of Elizabeth I)

"Here is a marvelously evocative portrait of a young woman caught in a bewildering web of jealousy, family rivalry, vengeance, and papal politics. This is historical fiction at its best, written by a master of the genre." (Patricia Bracewell, author of Shadow on the Crown)

Members Reviews:

Compelling story

After spending several months in Italy over the winter, I became enthralled with the Borgia family. I binge watched The Borgias on Netflix and found this book the perfect "second" chapter. It held my complete attention from the first pages. The audio performance was excellent.

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Título: Dispara, yo ya estoy muerto [Shoot , I'm Already Dead]

Autor: Julia Navarro

Narrador: Belén Roca, Juan Carlos Gustems

Formato: Unabridged

Duración: 29 hrs and 25 mins

Idioma: Español

Fecha de publicación: 02-05-16

Editor: Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial

Calificaciones: 4.5 de 5 de 381 votos

Categorías: Fiction, Historical

Resumen del editor:

Una extraordinaria novela de personajes inolvidables cuyas vidas se entrelazan con momentos clave de la Historia, desde finales del siglo XIX hasta mediados del XX, y que recrea la vida en ciudades tan emblemáticas como San Petersburgo, París o Jerusalén. Después del éxito del audiolibro DIME QUIEN SOY, llega Dispara, yo ya estoy muerto, una historia llena de historias, una gran novela que esconde dentro muchas novelas, y que, desde su enigmático título hasta su inesperado final, alberga más de una sorpresa, mucha aventura y emociones a flor de piel.

Please note: This audiobook is in Spanish.

Opiniones de los miembros:

Salvándose muriendo o matando

Electrizante novela histórica de Julia Navarro sobre el conflicto Judío-Palestino en el siglo XX,

Dos familias una palestina y otra judía con vidas entrelazadas íntimamente ,que el destino las arroja a uno de los conflictos más crueles y duraderos de la historia contemporánea,

Esta novela junto con "Dime quien Soy" ratifican a la autora, como una de las mejores novelistas del género histórico en nuestro idioma.

La narración es buena,

Buena historia gran final

Despues de haber leido, "Dime quien soy", este libro se queda corto a su lado. Aunque, al final me pareció bueno y con cierre excepcional. Sin duda una buena oportunidad de conocer las culturas arabes y judias narradas en una buena historia.

Historia bien contada

Tiene un muy bien punch, te mantiene pegado al relato aunque debo admitir que eso me sucedió unos capítulos después del incio, en cuanto al narrador, pues nada, una muy buena dicción,

triste pero cautivante

Lo que más me ha gustado ha sido el final.

Me ha sensibilizado el tema de los judíos y palestinos.

Maravilloso libro

Ha sido un libro espectacular. La narración impecable y me entretuvo todo el tiempo. Lo recomiendo muchísimo.

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Title: The Cruel Sea

Author: Nicholas Monsarrat

Narrator: Simon Vance

Format: Unabridged

Length: 17 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-29-16

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 530 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Based on the author's own vivid experiences, The Cruel Sea is the nail-biting story of the crew of HMS Compass Rose, a corvette assigned to protect convoys during World War II.

Darting back and forth across the icy North Atlantic, Compass Rose played a deadly cat-and-mouse game with packs of German U-boats lying in wait beneath the ocean waves. Packed with tension and vivid descriptions of agonizing U-boat hunts, this tale of the most bitter and chilling campaign of the war tells of ordinary men who had to master their own fears before they could face a brutal menace - one that would strike without warning from the deep.

Members Reviews:

Hard Edged Historical Fiction

This is a dark and starkly realistic story describing the lives of British naval officers who escorted Atlantic convoys during WWII. The Atlantic war was brutal, harsh, demanding, and thankless in many regards as--especially at the beginning of the war--the escorting corvettes vainly tried to protect allied shipping from the dreaded U-Boats.

Monsarrat captures not only the historical reality of what being in these ships was like, but also the values and personal qualities of the people of the era. To this American listener the prose was very British (the narrator as well, who did a great job), and it gave me a particular insight into the British viewpoint and approach to the war.

Further, the author does a fine job making the reader feel the wildness of the weather and the sea, and the anxiety and frustration of trying to shepherd a convoy at night without modern navigation and other aids, while at any moment a deadly enemy might strike. Eventually of course the tides turn and victory is gained; but even at the end, a feeling of sadness and loss prevails. The hardness of the experience, and how it affected the everyday people caught up in it, was profound.

My only mild criticism is that the plot line is a little thin or even melodramatic in spots, especially as regards the characters when they were on leave.

In the end, this was a tribute to some less-well-recognized warriors of WWII and the absolutely critical role they played in the eventual Allied victory. It brought those characters and their war to life and memory. To me this is a must-read and a classic for those who are interested in this period of history.

A classic

What did you love best about The Cruel Sea?

A geat story, authentic and one which really stays with you after you put the book down.

The book is a memorial to the seamen of WW2 who died in the Atlantic.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The captain of the Compas Rose, a character both believable and a typical Royal Navy captain.

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldnt experience if you just read the book?

Vance certainly brings the characters to life. The book was published in 1951 and is still a great read.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

WW2 1939 to 1945

Any additional comments?

The book is factual ( I am 93 and lived through those days so I can vouch for that. It stays with you and you begin comparing the present with those days of the Greatest Generation.

Maybe I am getting too old!!!

I was privileged to discover this book.

Here is a perfect example of the power and art form of the recorded novel. The author absolutely captures the grueling tension and horror of war, and helps us to remember this great war, now with few living survivors.

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Title: The Silver Suitcase

Author: Terrie Todd

Narrator: Kate Rudd

Format: Unabridged

Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-26-16

Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 339 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

It's 1939, and Canada is on the cusp of entering World War II. Seventeen-year-old farm girl Cornelia is heartbroken when she learns that her beloved soldier, Henry, has been killed in a train wreck. Alone and carrying a heavy secret, she makes the desperate choice that will haunt her for years to come. Never telling a soul, Cornelia pours out the painful events of the war in her diary.

Many decades later, Cornelia's granddaughter, Benita, is in the midst of her own crisis, experiencing several losses in the same week, including her job and the grandmother she adored. The resulting emotional and financial stress takes its toll on her and her husband, Ken, who is also unemployed. On the brink of divorce, she discovers Cornelia's diary. Now the secrets of her grandmother's past will lead Benita on an unexpected journey of healing, reunion, and renewed faith.

Members Reviews:

spiritual journey

Truly beautiful

I started this book at the beginning of a road trip. Little did I know it would change me so much. I was instantly drawn into the story when they mention Manitoba and Winnipeg Canada. I lived there when I was twelve. It gave me goose bumps. Needless to say I found myself on a road trip to a past and present that made me weep with remembrance and so much of Ccorrie story I related to. Did not expect to find so much in this book. But it touched me. Loved the characters. Found the story real and relatable. Some will find that they don't like the spiritual part and others like me will be led back to a place of reflection because of it. Parts left me hanging and I wanted more and perhaps the author will Grace us with ending for them? But all and all I could not put it down. I had to know. .....

A Diary, WWII, and Wrestling with God

Life on the farm isn't easy for Cornelia, her daddy and brother since her mother passed away . . . and Cornelia puts on a good front for everyone, even after having to quit school to cook, clean and plant the garden . . . but she pours her heart out in her diary . . . and she gets a new one every year for Christmas . . . its the only place where she can be honest . . . and honest, she is . . . she hates God . . . what kind of God takes a girl's mama? She'd been going to church all her life, was still going every Sunday . . . where the preacher and her Sunday School teacher think her so grown up and strong . . . and she was . . . she'd learned to get the meals on the table and even bake pies . . . keeping her journals hidden, Cornelia chronicles her young life during the depression and leading up to WWII, meeting young Henry Roberts the summer before he enlists for the war . . . and falling in love . . . when Henry is killed in a train wreck prior to leaving for overseas, Cornelia's life is turned upside down . . . setting into motion decades of secrets and pain . . . yet God sends her a Comforter . . . and Cornelia finally sees the God of mercy and love that her family has always believed in and trusted . . . This generational tale of buried secrets, deep love and sacrifice is one of the best I've come across . . . I would have liked a little more to tie up loose ends with the father's side of the family . . . a sequel would be nice . .

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Title: Fishers of Men

Subtitle: Kingdom and the Crown, Vol. 1

Author: Gerald N. Lund

Narrator: Larry A. McKeever

Format: Unabridged

Length: 22 hrs and 20 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-10-15

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 266 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

In an ancient land in a time foretold by prophets, a babe was born beneath a shining star. Thirty years later, Jesus of Nazareth began teaching a message of hope, peace, and love. He claimed to be the Son of God, and his words - and his life - would change the world.

Though David ben Joseph is quick to accept Jesus as the Messiah, the rest of his family is more cautious. His wife, Deborah, and his son, Simeon, leaders in the rebellious Zealot movement, look for a Messiah that will crush the Romans with power and the sword, not one preaching a message of love and forgiveness.

Meanwhile, reports of Jesus have reached into the very heart of Jerusalem, and both the powerful Sadducee Mordechai ben Uzziel and the Pharisee Azariah agree that something must be done to stop this man from Nazareth before he gets out of hand.

Fishers of Men is a sweeping epic filled with memorable characters who bring to life an extraordinary time in the history of the world. It is a story about the importance of family, the power of faith, the miracle of forgiveness, and the strength needed to follow your heart.

Members Reviews:

Please more books like these.

I am constantly on the search for clean uplifting books to listen to you. It is hard to know before I buy a book if it will be dark or smutty. As a mother of four, the books I listen to must be appropriate for my four young children to listen to as well. This book is uplifting to the soul and appropriate for the listening ears

of small children.

Wish Audible had more of this series!

Loved it & want to hear more in this series! Looks like I'll have to wait for Audible to catch up to order more :(

Insights into the way it was at the time of Christ

A fictional but believable story of some characters portraying what it could have been like hearing about Jesus Christ when he first came. The various Jewish factions and the struggle with the roman empire and the actual historical description gives it realism, mixed with scriptural history and a good deal of drama and internal conflict to make it feel like you are part of it. The most important story ever told, done so well.

It's a good story

I'm sorry I really hate giving this kind of reviews. The recording is terrible I don't know how I love a bull could have let it be so bad. The reader doesn't have a lot of the Expression there isn't a lot of emotion he's just reading it. I do appreciate that someone read it because it was a fun story. So for that thank you so much!

Excellent fictional account

I am always pleasantly surprised when an audiobook lives up to the reviews. This book surpassed those reviews. To take verses directly from the Bible and be true enough to those quotes that the author is willing to quote chapter and verse at the end of each chapter in his book was refreshing. The story weaved around Biblical facts was very believable and compelling. I felt the "good" characters were given depth and their growth from their original portrayal was very believable.

That said I did think the Biblical references at the end of each chapter would be better in a book as once I trusted the author to be Biblically accurate I didn't need to hear this at the end of 30 chapters.

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Title: The Outlandish Companion Volume Two

Subtitle: Companion to The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone, and Written in My Own Heart's Blood

Author: Diana Gabaldon

Narrator: Jeff Woodman, Pilar Witherspoon, Davina Porter, Diana Gabaldon

Format: Unabridged

Length: 21 hrs and 17 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-05-15

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 272 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

More than a decade ago, number-one New York Times best-selling author Diana Gabaldon delighted her legions of fans with The Outlandish Companion, an indispensable guide to all the Outlander books at the time. But that edition was just a taste of things to come. Since that publication, there have been four more Outlander novels, a side series, assorted novellas, and one smash-hit Starz original television series. Now Gabaldon serves up The Outlandish Companion, Volume Two, an all-new guide to the latest books in the series.

Written with Gabaldon's signature wit and intelligence, this compendium is bursting with generous commentary and juicy insider details, including - a complete chronology of the series thus far - full synopses of A Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone, and Written in My Own Heart's Blood - recaps of the Lord John Grey novels: Lord John and the Private Matter, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, Lord John and the Hand of Devils, and The Scottish Prisoner - a who's who of the cast of Outlander characters, cross-referenced by book - detailed maps and floor plans - an annotated bibliography - essays on subjects as wide ranging as Outlandish controversies regarding sex and violence, the unique responsibilities of a writer of historical fiction, and Gabaldon's writing process - a guided tour of the clothes, food, and music of the 18th century - a Gaelic glossary and pronunciation guide - personal photos from the author taken on the set of the Starz Outlander series As entertaining, sweeping, and addictive as the series itself, this second volume of The Outlandish Companion is a one (or two)-of-a-kind gift from an incomparable author.

Members Reviews:

Loved this audiobook!

Great overview of the last four books in the Outlander book series. Highly recommend purchasing.

What is the point?

What did you like best about The Outlandish Companion Volume Two? What did you like least?

What I liked best was it was about two of my favorite fictional characters. What I liked least was the miniscule amount of new information provided in 22 hours of running time.

What was most disappointing about Diana Gabaldons story?

What was the most disappointing about Diana Gabaldon's story was that there was no story. This book is a recap of each of the books included in this Volume 2. I bought a hard copy of Volume 1 and it was full of new and interesting tidbits applicable to the series. This volume has very little new information and is basically a synopsis of each of the later books which I have read at least twice and listened to at least twice. I truly do not know why this book was published. I am curious about the hard copy and will look at it at the bookstore to see if it is as pointless as the recorded book.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

Do not let the author be part of the narration.

Did The Outlandish Companion Volume Two inspire you to do anything?

Yes. It inspired me to ask for a refund.

Any additional comments?

No, I don't think I do.

Works better in book format

This works decently as an audiobook, but would be much better read in book form.

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Title: The Girl from the Train

Author: Irma Joubert

Narrator: Sarah Zimmerman

Format: Unabridged

Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins

Language: English

Release date: 11-03-15

Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 339 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Six-year-old Gretl Schmidt is on a train bound for Auschwitz. Jakób Kowalski is planting a bomb on the tracks. As World War II draws to a close, Jakób fights with the Polish resistance against the crushing forces of Germany and Russia. They mean to destroy a German troop transport, but Gretl's unscheduled train reaches the bomb first. Gretl is the only survivor.

Though spared from the concentration camp, the orphaned German Jew finds herself lost in a country hostile to her people. When Jakób discovers her, guilt and fatherly compassion prompt him to take her home. For three years, the young man and little girl form a bond over the secrets they must hide from his Catholic family. But she can't stay with him forever. Jakób sends Gretl to South Africa, where German war orphans are promised bright futures with adoptive Protestant families - so long as Gretl's Jewish roots, Catholic education, and connections to communist Poland are never discovered.

Separated by continents, politics, religion, language, and years, Jakób and Gretl will likely never see each other again. But the events they have both survived and their belief that the human spirit can triumph over the ravages of war have formed a bond of love that no circumstances can overcome.

Members Reviews:

Excellent story covering the middle of the 20th C.

OK, granted it's a "chick book," but an engaging one. As usual, the women can look deep into the eyes (which are discussed at length, as well as other parts of the facade) and tell everything they would wish to know about men. That said, it's an intriguing story and well worth the read. It gives much info about wartime Poland & South Africa of the post-war & cold war period.

Story pulled me in from the beginning.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Great story and beautiful narration.

Kind

It is a very interesting book mixing in facts with romance. Good read, loved it

Awesome!!!!

This book was well read! This story is amazing!!!! A must read! Better than Nicholas Sparks!

Stunning

Very interesting and entertaining story. I highly recommend it. Very good voice as well who did the reading.

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Title: City on Fire

Subtitle: A Novel

Author: Garth Risk Hallberg

Narrator: Rebecca Lowman, Tristan Morris, Bronson Pinchot

Format: Unabridged

Length: 37 hrs and 53 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-13-15

Publisher: Random House Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 607 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

A big-hearted, boundary-vaulting novel that heralds a remarkable new talent: set in 1970s New York, a story outsized in its generosity, warmth, and ambition, its deep feeling for its characters, its exuberant imagination.

The individuals who live within this extraordinary first novel are: Regan and William Hamilton-Sweeney, estranged heirs to one of the city's largest fortunes; Keith and Mercer, the men who, for better or worse, love them; Charlie and Samantha, two suburban teenagers seduced by downtown's punk scene; an obsessive magazine reporter and his idealistic neighbor; and the detective trying to figure out what any of them have to do with a shooting in Central Park. Their entangled relationships open up the loneliest-seeming corners of the crowded city. And when the infamous blackout of July 13, 1977, plunges this world into darkness, each of these lives will be changed forever. A novel about love and betrayal and forgiveness, about art and truth and rock 'n' roll, about how the people closest to us are sometimes the hardest to reach - about what it means to be human.

Read by Rebecca Lowman with Macleod Andrews, Alex McKenna, Paul Michael, Tristan Morris, and Bronson Pinchot.

Critic Reviews:

"City on Fire is a big, stunning first novel and an amazing virtual reality machine, whisking us back to New York City in the 1970s with bravura swagger and style and heart . . . The ghosts of New York memorialized by earlier writersF. Scott Fitzgerald, J. D. Salinger, Richard Pricehover over City on Fire[In] Hallberg's XXL tool kit as a storyteller: a love of language and the handsprings he can make it perform; a bone-deep knowledge of his characters' inner lives that's as unerring as that of the young Salinger; an instinctive gift for spinning suspense. He also possesses a journalistic eye for those telling details that can trigger memories of the reader's own like small Proustian grenadesA novel of head-snapping ambition and heart-stopping powera novel that attests to its young author's boundless and unflagging talents." (New York Times)

"A remarkably assured, multivalent tale...an epic panorama of musicians, writers, and power brokers and the surprising ways they connect...The story never feels overwritten, and the plotlines interlace without feeling pat...At times the novel feels like a metafictional tribute to America's finest doorstop manufacturers, circa 1970 to the present: Price (street-wise cops), Wolfe (top-tier wealth), Franzen (busted families), Wallace (the seductions of drugs and pop culture), and DeLillo (the unseen forces behind everything). That's not to say Hallberg has written a pastiche.... As his various plotlines braid tighter during the July 1977 blackout, his novel becomes an ambitious showpiece for just how much the novel can contain without busting apart.

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Title: The Gilded Hour

Author: Sara Donati

Narrator: Cassandra Campbell

Format: Unabridged

Length: 31 hrs and 40 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-01-15

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 1448 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

The internationally best-selling author of Into the Wilderness makes her highly anticipated return with a remarkable epic about two female doctors in 19th-century New York and the transcendent power of courage and love.

The year is 1883, and in New York City it's a time of dizzying splendor, crushing poverty, and tremendous change. With the gravity-defying Brooklyn Bridge nearly complete and New York in the grips of antivice crusader Anthony Comstock, Anna Savard and her cousin, Sophie - both graduates of the Woman's Medical School - treat the city's most vulnerable, even if doing so may put everything they've strived for in jeopardy.

Anna's work has placed her in the path of four children who have lost everything, just as she herself once had. Faced with their helplessness, Anna must make an unexpected choice between holding on to the pain of her past and letting love into her life.

For Sophie, an obstetrician and the orphaned daughter of free people of color, helping a desperate young mother forces her to grapple with the oath she took as a doctor - and thrusts her and Anna into the orbit of Comstock, a dangerous man who considers himself the enemy of everything indecent and of anyone who dares to defy him.

With its vivid depictions of old New York and its enormously appealing characters, The Gilded Hour is a captivating, emotionally gripping novel that proves Sara Donati is an author at the height of her powers.

Members Reviews:

Historical romance, surgical implements too!

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Although I've never read a Sara Donati book, I see that she has quite a tidy list of previous novels. So it's probably safe to say that she and her publishers know what they are doing.

I am interested in how medicine was practiced back in the late 1800s, and this book served my curiosity well. First and foremost, this is a romance novel, with lots of randy scenes between the two main characters. Had this been the only draw, I'd have stopped my listen.

But this book is also a well-researched tome on women's role in medicine back in the Gilded Age. It also features forensic medicine, a la Kathy Reichs of "Bones" fame, at its brith. And there's more:

--it's an immigrant novel,

--it's a mixed race novel,

--it's a novel about prejudice, not just in terms of color, but in terms of country of origin, poverty, women, Catholics, Jews, cops, the wealthy, and, well...not much escapes.

--it's a novel about family and losing family,

--it's about the power of the church

--and, of course, the power of love.

What did you like best about this story?

I enjoy long books that give one a chance to deeply know the characters. Or, if the characters aren't all that well crafted, at least you get a good story. This is not a literary historical work, such as you might find with Kevin Baker's books about New York, but I found I enjoyed it a lot.

Which scene was your favorite?

I enjoyed the scenes having to do with the practice of medicine. In particular, I recall a very well-crafted scene of a surgeon demonstrating a gynecological procedure to a group of male medical students.