Barbara Caruso has narrated 89 audiobooks on Listento.it by 69 authors, with an average listener rating of 4.6★ across 647 ratings. The most-rated is The Dance of Anger.
A Promise for Spring
Summary
In A Promise for Spring by ACF Book of the Year novelist Kim Vogel Sawyer, Geoffrey Garrett leaves his 17-year-old fiancée in England while he establishes his Kansas ranch and builds her a proper house. But when he sends for her five years later in 1874, it's clear her feelings have changed far more than his. Despite his desire to marry and her wish to leave, they forge a compromise. If she remains as the ranch's housekeeper until spring, he will pay for her trip back home.
©2009 Kim Vogel Sawyer (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC
Steps to Christ
Summary
Many books have been written about Christ and the Christian life, but few have captured so much in so succinct a manner. Jacob dreamed a dream of steps up to heaven connected and accessible to man. Today that ladder still exists outlined in a way worthy of its subject.
©2010 Ellen G. White Estate, Inc. (P)2017 Paris Publishing Company, LLC
Red Sings from Treetops
Summary
In spring, Red sings from treetops: cheer-cheer-cheer, each note dropping like a cherry into my ear. Sleepy Yellow sticks to summer. Yet ocean Blue stays cool and alive. Green fades in fall, turns to dust, and no longer keeps Brown at bay. In winter, Pink blossoms on chilled cheeks. And Black echoes through the still of winter’s night. But spring comes again, and Red returns - flitting and fluttering, bright as a Cardinal bird.
©2009 Joyce Sidman (P)2010 Recorded Books
Waiting for Summer's Return
Summary
Suddenly all alone in 1894 Kansas, Summer Steadman can't find the employment she needs to settle near the fresh graves of her husband and four children. Bitter against the Lord and refusing to eat, she collapses in despair. Remembering his own painful loss, godly widower Peter Ollenbuger offers her food and shelter for tutoring his 10-year-old son. Kim Vogel Sawyer has penned an inspiring debut novel whose unforgettable characters resonate with emotional intensity and compelling authenticity.
©2006 Kim Vogel Sawyer (P)2006 Recorded Books LLC
Rooms: A Novel
Summary
After a number of highly acclaimed New York Times best sellers, including the Delirium trilogy and the standalone novels Before I Fall and Panic, Lauren Oliver returns with a spellbinding tale that confirms her place as one of our finest storytellers. Fueled by the same inspired feel for plot and character that drew readers to Oliver's earlier works, Rooms is a mesmerizing and suspenseful story of guilt, love, and family secrets. Estranged patriarch Richard Walker has died, leaving behind a country house full of rooms packed with the detritus of a lifetime. His alienated family - bitter ex-wife Caroline, troubled teenage son Trenton, and unforgiving daughter Minna - have arrived for their inheritance. But the Walkers are not alone. Alice and Sandra, two long-dead and restless ghosts, linger within the house's claustrophobic walls, bound eternally to its physical structure. Jostling for space and memory, they observe the family, trading barbs and reminiscences about their past lives. Though their voices cannot be heard, Alice and Sandra speak through the house itself - in the hiss of the radiator, a creak in the stairs, the dimming of a light bulb. The living and dead are haunted by painful truths that surface with explosive force. When a new ghost appears, and Trenton begins to communicate with her, the spirit and human worlds collide - with cataclysmic results. Elegantly constructed and brilliantly paced, Rooms is an enticing and imaginative ghost story and a searing family drama that is as haunting as it is resonant.
©2014 Laura Schechter (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers
Misty's Twilight
Summary
As a young girl Sandy Price dreamed of owning a pony like Misty of Chincoteague. Journeying to Chincoteague for the annual pony penning, a grown Sandy decides to make her dream come true. At the end of the auction she brings home not just one but four beautiful ponies, including Sunshine, a direct descendant of Misty. When Twilight, Sunshine’s foal, first appears from her stall, the fire of the wild ponies of Assateague is in her eyes. She races and rears herself into a lather, bucking at even the temporary confinement when the farrier examines her hooves. As Twilight begins to grow in stature and spirit, Sandy realizes the filly has a special future in store for the both of them. Marguerite Henry’s Newbery Award-winning collection of horse stories have become children’s classics, charming thousands of fans in many different countries. Her stories feature actual people and horses and are refreshingly free from the violent themes and issues so prevalent in today’s children’s literature. Misty’s Twilight is filled with the dreamy quality of yesteryear that holds an ageless appeal to young and old alike.
©1992 Marguerite Henry (P)1994 Recorded Books
Eight Cousins
Summary
Recently orphaned, young Rose Campbell is sent to the "Aunt Hill", where Uncle Alex, her six aunts, and seven boy cousins live in noisy confusion. It is nothing like the quiet girls’ boarding school that has been Rose’s home for the past year. Surrounded by a bewildering array of pets, relatives, and unfamiliar foods, the fragile girl wonders if she will ever get used to this new life. Fortunately, Uncle Alex is her guardian. He keeps the aunts from coddling her too much, and makes sure that she has plenty of time to play outside with her cousins. Day by day, learning how to care for each of these people, Rose begins to bloom. Eight Cousins is a charming introduction to Louisa May Alcott’s timeless classics, which include Little Women and Little Men. Barbara Caruso’s colorful narration perfectly captures Rose and her extended family.
Public Domain (P)2002 Recorded Books
The Chicken Doesn't Skate
Summary
Sixth-grader Milo Neal plans to do a science project on "The Complete Life Cycle of a Link in the Food Chain". But when he brings his specimen - a baby chick - to class, everyone falls in love with the cute ball of fluff. Soon she has a name: Henrietta. Not only is Henrietta the class pet, she's even chosen as mascot for the school hockey team! How can Milo finish his project, which calls for frying up his specimen and serving it to the judges of the science fair? Each day, as Henrietta gets bigger, so does Milo’s dilemma. And students are hatching plans to rescue their feathered friend. Gordon Korman, author of more than 20 books for middle school and young adult audiences, based this hilarious story on his own experiences while visiting a middle school classroom. Through the talented narrators’ performances, Henrietta’s adventures will have you cackling with laughter.
©1996 Gordon Korman (P)1999 Recorded Books
Jo's Boys
Summary
Jo March Bhaer, who first appeared in Little Women, returns as the compassionate mentor to the boys and girls of Plumfield school. The original students are now young men and women, scattered the world over but always drawn to Plumfield to share their experiences. With fond memories of their school days to comfort them, the young men travel far and wide in search of happiness and fulfillment. The firebrand Dan finds adventure and peril in the American West. Emil’s life is threatened as he sails the high seas. And all the while, tender romances are finally blossoming. Based on real-life people and events, Jo’s Boys has struck an affectionate chord with generations of readers since its publication. The stories of many cherished characters - from both Little Women and Little Men - are given satisfying, heart-warming conclusions. Barbara Caruso’s affectionate narration carries readers back to New England in the late 1800s, when life was simpler but still full of adventure.
Public Domain (P)2000 Recorded Books
Main Street
Summary
Widely hailed as a milestone in American literature, Sinclair Lewis' Main Street vividly describes a country on the verge of massive change, with traditional values being threatened by progress. The novel's heroine, Carol Milford, is a highly educated, ambitious woman who plans to join a newly enlightened society. But after marrying a small-town doctor, she finds herself trapped in the role of a dutiful wife. Carol's desires for social change conflict with the security of her comfortable married life, as she struggles to understand the cost of conformity...and rebellion. As relevant today as it was upon its 1920 publication, Main Street is both a masterful piece of writing and a fascinating microcosm of America's social evolution.
Public Domain (P)1996 Recorded Books
Little Men
Summary
Jo March, the irrepressible tomboy in Little Women, has grown up and married her professor to become Jo Bhaer. Together the Bhaers have established Plumfield - a warm-hearted, informal school where lessons are taught with a dose of laughter. When Nat, a young orphan joins the happy household at Plumfield, he can’t believe his good fortune. Each day is filled with studying and fun - the boys even enjoy Saturday-night pillow fights. But when Nat gets caught stretching the truth, he discovers there is more to learn in his new home than games and schoolwork. Filled with real-life characters and situations, Louisa M. Alcott’s spirited classic has touched the hearts and minds of young people from generation to generation. Barbara Caruso’s dramatic narration transports young adults to the late 1800s when life was simpler but was still packed with plenty of adventures.
Public Domain (P)1998 Recorded Books
The Custom of the Country
Summary
The first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature, Edith Wharton stands among the finest writers of early 20th-century America. In The Custom of the Country, Wharton’s scathing social commentary is on full display through the beautiful and manipulative Undine Spragg. When Undine convinces her nouveau riche parents to move to New York, she quickly injects herself into high society. But even a well-to-do husband isn’t enough for Undine, whose overwhelming lust for wealth proves to be her undoing.
Public Domain (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC
The Secrets of Flight
Summary
This captivating breakout novel - told in alternating viewpoints - brings listeners from the skies of World War II to the present day, where a woman is prepared to tell her secrets at last. Estranged from her family since just after World War II, Mary Browning has spent her entire adult life hiding from her past. Now 87 years old and a widow, she is still haunted by secrets and fading memories of the family she left behind. Her one outlet is the writing group she's presided over for a decade, though she's never written a word herself. When a new member walks in - a 15-year-old girl who reminds her so much of her beloved sister, Sarah - Mary is certain fate delivered Elyse Strickler to her for a reason. Mary hires the serious-eyed teenager to type her story about a daring female pilot who, during World War II, left home for the sky and gambled everything for her dreams - including her own identity. As they begin to unravel the web of Mary's past, Mary and Elyse form an unlikely friendship. Together they discover it's never too late for second chances and that sometimes forgiveness is all it takes for life to take flight in the most unexpected ways.
©2016 Maggie Leffler (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers
Sisterchicks Go Brit!
Summary
CBA best-selling author Robin Jones Gunn sends the Sisterchicks out on another lighthearted and inspiring adventure. This time they travel to England, hoping to fulfill long-held dreams. Although nothing on the trip goes as planned, each detour shows them that God truly knows their hearts.
©2008 Robin’s Nest Productions Inc. (P)2010 Recorded Books
A Rose in Bloom
Summary
Returning to the "Aunt Hill" from a two-year trip around the world, 20-year-old Rose Campbell suddenly finds herself surrounded by male admirers, all expecting her to marry them! Rose is rich and pretty, and she suspects many of these suitors are more interested in her wealth than her dreams. But she is determined to live her own life and find her own love, despite the many plans of aunts, uncles, and cousins. Louisa May Alcott wrote this delightful sequel to Eight Cousins at the request of her many fans.
Public Domain (P)2002 Recorded Books
The Redemption of Sarah Cain
Summary
Beverly Lewis, the best-selling author of The Shunning, offers listeners a moving tale of love and spiritual awakening. In The Redemption of Sarah Cain, she examines the conflict between two very different cultures. Sarah Cain is a strictly modern woman living in Oregon and developing a burgeoning career in real estate. Her sister, Ivy, left to pursue a "Plain" life in Amish country 12 years ago. But when Ivy dies, Sarah is shocked to learn that she has been appointed guardian of her sister's five children. Lydia, the eldest, senses major difficulties for the new family. Neither she nor Sarah are truly prepared for the drastic changes they will have to make in order to honor Ivy's last wish. With hope and tenderness, Lewis guides Sarah and the children on their journey of religious fulfillment. Barbara Caruso's tender narration lends a sensitive charm to each of the characters.
©2007 Beverly Lewis (P)2003 Recorded Books
Sweet Mercy
Summary
When Eve Marryat's father is laid off from the Ford Motor Company in 1931, he is forced to support his family by leaving St. Paul, Minnesota, and moving back to his Ohio roots. Eve's uncle Cyrus has invited the family to live and work at his Marryat Island Ballroom and Lodge. Eve can't wait to leave St. Paul, a notorious haven for gangsters. At 17, she considers her family to be "good people," not lawbreakers like so many in her neighborhood. Thrilled to be moving to a "safe haven," Eve soon forms an unlikely friendship with a strange young man named Link, blissfully unaware that her uncle's lodge is anything but what it seems. When the reality of her situation finally becomes clear, Eve is faced with a dilemma. Does she dare risk everything by exposing the man whose love and generosity is keeping her family from ruin? And when things turn dangerous, can she trust Link in spite of appearances?
©2013 Ann Tatlock (P)2013 Recorded Books
'Minnie and Moo Save the Earth' and 'Minnie and Moo Go to the Moon'
Summary
As Minnie and Moo lounge in the farmer's hot tub, aliens are landing one hill to the west. The aliens mistake the cows for giants, thinking the hot tub is their spaceship. Meanwhile, Minnie and Moo think the mite-sized invaders are mosquitoes and do their best to eliminate them with an earth-saving flyswatter. As always, the bovine buddies provide an endearing adventure full of slapstick humor that is sure to delight. In Minnie and Moo Go to the Moon, the cow pals take a joyride on the farmer's tractor, thinking that they've landed the contraption on the moon when they crash. Silly and satisfying, this book is laugh-out-loud funny.
©1998 Denys Cazet (P)2001 Live Oak Media
Promises to Keep
Summary
Christy Award winner Ann Tatlock is a top name in inspirational fiction. In Promises to Keep, 11-year-old Rosalind finds 70-year-old Tillie on her front porch - again. Wanting to die in the place where she lived for half a century, Tillie continues leaving her senior living complex and finding her way “home.” Annoyed at first, Rosalind’s mother finally lets Tilly live with them. And when danger nears, Tillie selflessly determines to protect the family she has adopted as her own.
©2011 Ann Tatlock (P)2011 Recorded Books, LLC
San Miguel
Summary
From the New York Times best-selling author of The Women, a historical novel about three women’s lives on a California island. On a tiny, desolate, windswept island off the coast of Southern California, two families, one in the 1880s and one in the 1930s, come to start new lives and pursue dreams of self-reliance and freedom. Their extraordinary stories, full of struggle and hope, are the subject of T. C. Boyle’s haunting new novel. Thirty-eight-year-old Marantha Waters arrives on San Miguel on New Year’s Day 1888 to restore her failing health. Joined by her husband, a stubborn, driven Civil War veteran who will take over the operation of the sheep ranch on the island, Marantha strives to persevere in the face of the hardships, some anticipated and some not, of living in such brutal isolation. Two years later their adopted teenage daughter, Edith, an aspiring actress, will exploit every opportunity to escape the captivity her father has imposed on her. Time closes in on them all and as the new century approaches, the ranch stands untenanted. And then in March 1930, Elise Lester, a librarian from New York City, settles on San Miguel with her husband, Herbie, a World War I veteran full of manic energy. As the years go on they find a measure of fulfillment and serenity; Elise gives birth to two daughters, and the family even achieves a celebrity of sorts. But will the peace and beauty of the island see them through the impending war as it had seen them through the Depression? Rendered in Boyle’s accomplished, assured voice, with great period detail and utterly memorable characters, this is a moving and dramatic work from one of America’s most talented and inventive storytellers.
©2012 T.C. Boyle (P)2012 Penguin