The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk, Read by Gilli Messer and Allen Lewis Rickman

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Narrated with clarity and poise by Gilli Messer and Allen Rickman, The Books of Jacob (tr. Jennifer Croft) takes more than 35 hours but is worth it. Host Jo Reed and AudioFile contributor Alan Minskoff discuss Polish Nobel Laureate Olga Tokarczuk’s sprawling historical novel set in the 18th century. Both Messer and Rickman capture the tonality of the language and the author’s elegant writing, and the novel teems with unique characters—including a spiritual presence named Yenta who omnisciently hovers over the proceedings. Outstanding and compelling listening.

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This episode of Behind the Mic is sponsored by the audiobook editions of Sherryl Woods’s Sweet Magnolias series. With the new season available to watch now on Netflix, now is the time to listen to the entire Sweet Magnolias audiobook series, all brought to you by Dreamscape Media. For more information about Sweet Magnolias, please visit www.Dreamscapepublishing.com