I listened to this while reading the novel about her.
929165
Nice progression in chants, including instruments.  Hildegard von Bingen was an amazing woman of the early Church, music, medicinal herbs, visions and navigation of the complexity of the male dominated hierarchy.
189763
What can you say about a Susan Mallery book that hasn't already been said, but for a change, I listened to this book and it was just as good as reading it.  The book started out a little slow for me, but I wasn't quite sure if it was the book or the narrator.  However, about a fourth of the way through it, I was hooked, as my husband will attest.  I walked around with headphones on from my  iPhone for about 2 days.  Great woman's fiction with just enough romance and by the way, I identified more with Andi, rather that Boston or Dianna.  Susan asked that on FB last week.  Another great read from Susan Mallery
2746114
I heard so much about this book, and my husband likes to listen more than read, so I ordered audio.
1548489
I read this novel many years ago and enjoyed the return journey.  As I don't have much time for actual reading, but do enjoy listening, this was a very nice way to revist this novel.
519713
Since I saw the movie this song stuck with me and had to by it to listen to it when I want.
4443492
As I read the book, I could not help but thinking that I was reading a very extended thank-you note. I was hoping for more factual matter about her life and the music she wrote.
4425617
I really like her voice and the slow pace. I am going from being modertly active to 3yrs of barley any type of of activity.this looks very due able. (Bed ridden from lyme disease )
88608
I will admit right upfront here if I hadn't been listening to the audio version, I would not have finished this book.  In fact, I yanked the second disk out of the car player, vowing to take this pretentious and uninteresting book back to the library. But the radio was boring, the drive long, and the reader playing Renee has a warm, inviting voice that makes for easy listening, so I popped it back in shortly thereafter for another try.

I'll also admit, there are long passages herein of philosophical rambling that lost my interest.  I borrowed the print version and found some of them unfathomable even when my attention was not divided between the road and the story.  Even so, the sad-sweet musings of these two lonely people and the unfolding of their lives and their friendships are literary treasures not to be missed.  And the ending, which I read this a.m. and will listen to later, is not to be missed.  Beautiful!  I loved it.
4765659
I really enjoyed reading this novel, because you felt as if you were there beside her, listening to her work out how these awful murders happened and whom perpetuated them.  Didn't want to put the book down!
2344274
I definitely recommend the audio version of this book.  The reader's powerful voice and the author's beautiful sentences make for a stunning experience.  I literally lost myself listening to the book once while I was driving that I ended up in the next state.

"The March" had everything I like in a book: good characters, gripping writing and something to learn about.
3505325
I had been listening to her singing this song much later on, faster, more ornamented.  Hearing this version helps me keep her development in context.
87193
I don't know when I started liking the (audio)book, but my appetite for it became insatiable. I drove by myself to Albany, Georgia for a meeting (90 miles) just so I could have several hours of uninterrupted listening time.
You read this book as if you are reading the diaries of five women:  Orleanna Price, wife of a preacher sent to the Congo, and their four daughters.
I think a big turnoff was starting the book with Orleanna Price. Beautiful prose, but very difficult to get into the feel of the book when this woman is "talking." Am I that used to children's books? Do I need "Once upon a time there were four sisters whose father was a preacher..."? It's just that she is so descriptive and allegorical and whatever else that it just confused the heck out of me.  I tried to read the novel and eventually checked out the audiotapes from the library in the hope that being read to would help me "get into" the book.
Each chapter is devoted to the "voice" of a different character.  It made it much easier to listen to Dean Robertson read the book and give each character a unique sound.  I love how audiobooks allow me to "read" novels that I otherwise would not be able to.
I'm not sure how I would recommend this book to others. It definitely was worth getting through the initial mire of wordiness. Maybe skip the first chapter with Orleanna and get to where they are packing for the trip.  Then read the first chapter last.
It is a fascinating insight into the clash of African culture with the white preacher-man come to save their souls.  However, most of the novel is dedicated to the reaction of Reverend Price's blonde-haired daughters and wife to being thrust
into this foreign land.
The novel spans several decades and we get to see the life-long effects of this missionary trip on the Price family.
137385
I've never been a fan of Jane Austen's works, having tried to listen to a few of them in audio version and finding them too tedious to even finish.  However, I recently tried another of her books and discovered that a really, really gifted narrator can actually transform her books into a pleasant, even entertaining listening experience.

I purchased this copy of Northanger Abbey on the strength of Anna Massey's narration alone; I have another audio book read by her and know that she is a truly gifted narrator.  She definitely didn't disappoint this time, although even her skilled reading couldn't mask or make up for some significant flaws in the book.

It is clear from almost the first sentence that Northanger Abbey is a satire of the popular romantic novels of Austen's day.  However, once past the almost-sarcastic beginning, the story settles into a nice tale.  The heroine is Catherine Moreland, a young and innocent girl of a good family who is invited to vacation in Bath with some family friends.  In spite of her naivete and propensity to view everything through the lens of the Gothic romances she loves to read, the reader can't help but like Catherine.  She is not silly, but simply a girl who is lacking in experience but not lacking in good sense.  Although she becomes involved with some people of less than sterling character, her natural intelligence allows her to discern this and the reader can't help cheering for her and hoping that she will come though it unscathed.

Then another family invites Catherine to visit their country home Northanger Abbey and here begins the weakest part of the novel.  Catherine's relationships with those around her are suspended as Jane Austen turns the book into a parody of Gothic novels.  Immediately caught up by her overactive, naive imagination, Catherine is sure that the Abbey harbors dark secrets and immediately sets about discovering the truth behind the death of Mrs. Tilney, mother of her friends.  This part of the book is simply ridiculous and silly, with Catherine acting like a 19th century Nancy Drew.  Really, this section could have been (and should have been) completely cut from the book and nothing would have been lost.

Finally, Henry Tilney, the young man Catherine loves, becomes aware of her ridiculous quest and firmly makes her aware of the facts behind his mother's death.  With this Catherine is overcome with embarrassment, this silly Goth parody comes to an abrupt end, and the story of Catherine and her society resumes.

Besides the silly Gothic parody there are other significant weaknesss.  One is the author's tendency to suddenly turn to the reader as it were and start writing in the first person.  Another major weakness is the character of Captain Tilney; although his reason for suddenly dismissing Catherine and sending her home alone might have worked had it been written with Austen's usual sophisticated style and polish, it wasn't.  So it came across as clunky and even dumb.

My conclusion -- this book was badly in need of some editing.  It lacks the polish of Austen's other works -- perhaps  because she died before being able to finish it to her normal standard?  It is not a terrible book but I can't help feeling that money would have been better spent on some other book and I doubt I will ever listen to this one again.  It will probably appeal most to ardent Jane Austen fans.
4064965
This review considers the CD audio. Such a wonderful experience to hear Karen read her own words about her own life. I had read her first autobiography, Through the Narrow Gate, so I found that the first expositions were a bit repetitive, without a clear new insight -though the second book has been written many years later. I love Karen Armstrong, because I can really relate to her yearning for God, to her sufferings emanating from struggling with Catholicism, the world and herself, to her persistance and to the confusion of not knowing if the world is misunderstanding you or if you are simply misunderstanding yourself. Her last chapters are mind-blowing. There is a giant leap to new and enlightening considerations and, in this leap, I feel that Karen has been courageous and admirable. The only regret that I feel is that I would have liked to hear Karen speak more about her intimacies and the feelings that go with them. Very briefly and very superficially does she mention aspects of sexuality and intimate relationships...subjects that are fundamental in the portrait of a human being. This is, after all, an autobiography. The beautifully exposed concluding chapter is, in itself, a reason to want to buy the book, after having heard this audio CD. Comments may be addressed to rherrero@club-internet.fr.
2904772
I also purchased the audio version. My intention was to listen on my commute. However I couldn't stand the woman's voice. The story it's self was a little slow to get into, but then it is a beautiful adventure
1964975
I listened to the book (unabridged on ausio cassette). This is my first venture into Danielle Steel and I really enjoyed it. I felt like I was pulled into the story and could hardly get out of my car because I couldn't stop listening. I think if I had the time I would actually sit and read this book and enjoy it.
1800253
The audio book version read by Davina Porter is excellent. Not only are her accents and vocal nuances perfect for the characters, I learned how Scottish words (mainly names and places) are correctly pronounced and I didn't have to get hung up guessing, which can be annoying for me as I'll persistently wonder if I've gotten it right. I started with the e-book format on my Kindle, but the story really caught fire and came to life when I added the audio version (I'll just obtain the audio version for the sequels and skip printed versions). The book is long, which means I had 2-3 weeks of daily commuting while listening to this book in the car..so factoring the cost-per-hour-of-listening with my high level of enjoyment, the purchase really was a bargain. If you are listening during a commute with others in the car, be aware that there is a fair amount of bawdiness in the story which could make some uncomfortable.