Zadie Smith expertly performs her historical novel inspired by true events. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile’s Kendra Winchester discuss this story set in 1873, when Mrs. Eliza Touchet, a Scottish housekeeper, is watching the trial of a working-class Australian man who claims to be the true inheritor of a great estate and title. Listeners explore Mrs Touchet’s past and get the perspective on an enslaved man called upon as a star witness. Smith’s performance is an equal match to her prose. Her narration possesses considerable emotional depth, and she delivers lines with her characteristic searing wit.

Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile’s website. Published by Penguin Audio.

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