beautifully written and wonderfully narrated - Have a copy of ...
580169
beautifully written and wonderfully narrated - Have a copy of book and purchased audio version. Loved the audio version as well.  Great gift for dog lovers too
2602044
I accidentally purchase the audio version of this book.  It is extremely well told!  Great story!  Loved the way it was written!
1972037
Nicola Marter was born with a marvelous gift. When she touches an object, she sometimes glimpses those who have owned it before. When a woman arrives with a small wooden carving at the gallery Nicola works at, she can see the object's history and knows that it was named after the Firebird - the mythical creature from an old Russian fable. What Nicola also sees is a young girl with her head in the lap of a lady.

The present owner of the carving explained that her carving had been venerated for years and handed down from a great, great, great grandmother from a grand Russian lady and thought to be of some value.  Nicola, compelled to know more looks up an old friend whom she knew had psychic abilities far greater than hers and together, they traveled to Russia following the trail of a young girl named Anna who leads them into the past on a quest through the glittering backdrops of the Jacobites and Russian courts.

***  While THE FIREBIRD was a quest for Nicola in trying to help a woman prove the value of an old family heirloom, it also turned into a marvelous story of a young child and her adventures across the continents to hide from the English who sought to use her to their advantage.  Additionally, you will love the brave friends who helped her along the way as she grew into adulthood. And finally it was also a story and journey for Nicola herself in helping to realize that her gifts were nothing to be ashamed of, and her realization that what she had once run away from was there for the taking should she let her guard down and go for it.

There are times when reading a book that goes back and forth between past and present I would get totally frustrated but the writing and the way it was presented was quite seamless and it seemed natural as though it couldn't have been told any other way.  Let me also say, that in the narration of this audiobook, I must applaud the magnificent performance of Katherine Kellgren whose voiceovers from male to female, child to adult, was impeccable!  Truly, I will be on the lookout for more books narrated by this stellar narrator as she was just that good.

Bottom line:  If you like history, mystery, and romance and a wonderfully told story, listening to THE FIREBIRD is simply one of the best ways to accomplish that goal.  In fact, you might want to start out with THE WINTER SEA and meet Annas parents.

Marilyn Rondeau, for www.ck2skwipsandkritiques.com
2275633
Beautifully written and would be nice to listen to in an audio version. I was confused by the entrance and exit of a number of characters, but still found it immensely engrossing.
4952890
This audio book, read beautifully by the author, is compelling, poetic and sensual. It's a book of the senses, where we hear the katydids harsh and over-loud in the summer night, and feel the humid heat of a time of procreative fullness. The language of the place and the characters lends a rhythm to the whole, which Kingsolver's reading does justice to. The three main stories, interwoven by characters as well as theme, are complex and memorable, and she has brought us the sense of isolation and also community that all of us suffer from. A fascinating and enviable accomplishment.
11598
Stunning! Very well read, exquisitely written. Thought provoking and heart warming. Listen to it over and over and over again. Makes my commutes go by quickly and peacefully.
204417
I Loved listening to this audio book of 1777 narrated by Robert Thaler. Robert's voice is so compelling and engaging, so familiar and so very attuned to the text, that the narrative simply flows. He is clearly one of the best narrators I have ever heard. He brings 1777 to vivid life. I would buy anything Robert Thaler narrates.
4743158
Beautiful, uplifting, amazingly insightful, beautiful (did I say that already?), a pleasure to listen to. The audible audio version was read by the author and he did such a great job presenting his ideas and thoughts. I really want to write my own story now. This book revealed so many truths, it was as if the author was just reminding me of things I've always known deep down but could not access on my own. Extremely enjoyable and enlightening. Thank you Mr. Miller.
1229392
I just narrated Dr. Ofri's book for Audible and am so honored to have been entrusted with this beautifully written, important book.  Whether you read or listen, you will come away from the experience with a much deeper appreciation for what our physicians and nurses go through as they begin and continue their careers in medicine.  There were passages that brought me to tears, especially the passage about the nurse Eva and the infant she cared for.

As it happens, at the same time I was recording the narration, we found out that my 11-year-old daughter needed surgery involving an overnight stay in the hospital.  While the condition was not at all life-threatening, our family was suddenly spending a great deal of time in the environment Dr. Ofri writes about so eloquently.  During the time I spent with my daughter in the hospital, I talked with several people on the medical staff about this book.  The overnight nurse told me that her own 18-month-old spent time in the ICU, and the experience forever changed her approach to nursing.

I've been recommending this book to friends and family as a must-read / listen.  I look forward to Dr. Ofri's next book!
1044978
I enjoyed listening to the audio version of this book on my Audible app. Of the audiobooks I have listened to, the reader for this novel was the most articulate and pleasant to listen to. I usually get flustered when I rely solely on the audio version of books because I am afraid I will miss something due to the readers slurs of speech or accent. I never felt this way with The Boy and the Dolphin, though. I was happy to have chosen to listen to it instead of read it during this busy holiday season.

As for the content of this book, I was surprised at all the factual information given along with the story. Honestly, when I began this book, I thought it would be a quick light-hearted book for older children. I walked away from this book having learned several life lessons. The storyline follows Toby (the boy) and Phinney (the dolphin) and their beautiful and unique bond between boy and dolphin. Dick Schmidt, the author and a Florida-native, portrays his passion for the ocean throughout this book and brings the reader with him as he admires nature and its intricate elegance. Schmidt writes this novel with the perfect balance between descriptions and dialogue.

Although this book did not end up how I thought it would be, it turned out better! I would recommend it to anyone as a heart-warming wintertime read.
2915418
I was provided a free copy of this book in audio format from the author in exchange for an honest review.

This book narrates the life of a woman in Afghanistan. She is the daughter of an atypical marriage, since her father was French. Her mother has inculcated on her the value of love and this will be the goal for this woman. This is a book about dreams, hope and love.

The story starts in the 60's, when this woman meets her future husband Emir, and she dreams of how her life will become. Things start to get complicated for Afghanistan and this woman, and her search for true love will only lead to broken dreams. Only in accepting what she has got she will find new hope.

This is one of the most beautiful books I have read this year, and my favorite so far. The story is beautifully told, with many flashbacks and enough background information. It is narrated in first person and we often suffer about how life is treating her. Born of a mixed marriage, she got a glimpse into the Western culture, and her dreams will not fit in her own culture reality. For us it may seem a foreign world, but we see that in her own heart it is also for her.

But this is not only this woman's story, but also about her country. We witness the changes in Afghanistan in the last 40 years, and how the land gets broken and how things change under different rulers. Carey Richard has written a wonderful piece of history along with a story about love, grief and loss.

There is no name given to the woman in this story because the book is written in first person like a personal diary, and in fact, this could have been the story of any woman in Afghanistan, despite her different origins.

The narrations was also beautifully done. Susanna Burney really becomes this Afghan woman, and her subtle accent makes it believable. It would have been a five star narration if it were not for the occasional mouth clicking noises that could have been edited out.

I really enjoyed this book and how it was narrated. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a well written book with the added value of an extraordinary narration.
3481176
Exceptional audio reading by Jeffrey DeMunn!  I wish I knew his e-mail address , or he had a web site, so I could express my compliments. Mr. DeMunn's reading makes my commuting a great pleasure.

I'm listening to it over and over again. The narration is exceptional. The voice is extraordinarily pleasant and clear, and every character has a very distinguishable voice. This Audio CD could be used by ESL programs; just listen to it over and over again and your English will surely improve.

The writing of  Dreamcatcher is very good also, otherwise I wouldn't be able to listen to it over and over and over..
1635219
I throoughly enjoyed the unabridged version on audio cassette.  The narrator's accent was so captivating that I couldn't put it down!!!! I've  changed my own way of speaking after listening to the tapes.  A combination  of the story and narration made it very worth my while.  Towards the end,  however, the story rather thinned out.
4480466
I listened to this lovely book recently and had the most enchanting 8 hours. It was one of the very, very few books I finished in it's audio format and went right back to chapter one to start all over again. By the end of the book, you will know the author, Isabel Losada, very well and will miss her a lot when you have turned the last page. This is a very interesting walk through our modern life, punctured every paragraph or so, by a very funny comment. Think, the Dalai Lama meets P.G. Wodehouse and you sort of get the picture. In the audio version, one gets the added bonus of the author's great narration.
1304092
There are several versions of this audiobook, read by different narrators. Get the version that is read by Tom Hollander. He does an amazing job. His voice is captivating. Some narrators are lame at doing other voices in a story but Mr. Hollander pulls it off beautifully. I have found that it is only available through AmazonUK but it is well worth the effort to get it. My only complaint is that he did not do the unabridged version.
3509557
Beautiful, lyrical book. Wonderfully narrated. Not a subject I'd normally be drawn to, but I could see myself listening again and again.
488686
Excellent book - really need to listen to the audiobook to get the full experience.