The Sword Maker

Times are hard in Frankfort. Defeat in war, weak leadership, trade blockades and a starving population lead to a restive and unhappy citizenry. The one thing Frankfort does have is the best three sword-makers in the country, who form a guild to try and find solutions to the economic problems assailing the city. One day, a stranger appears: an instructor in swordsmanship and the craft of sword-making. Despite not being licensed to carry a sword in the city, he promises the guild he can help them make their fortunes and lead the city out of the recession. - Summary by Lynne Thompson

24 episodes

The Dogs Of Boytown

This collection of stories about dogs and the people they own was published in 1918. The story proceeds leisurely with much information about different breeds of dogs. The author obviously likes both boys and dogs. ( David Wales)

19 episodes

An Unwilling Guest

A young society woman travels to the country to visit her aunt, only to end up as the unwilling guest of a neighboring family. The daughter is not so sure how to deal with this unpleasant circumstance. The young man of the household has met her before. Through them, she gains new perspectives on life, faith, and love. - Summary by LikeManyWaters

29 episodes

A Lost Lady

The young Niel Herbert idolizes Marian Forrester, the beautiful and charismatic wife of a pioneering railroad magnate. After discovering Mrs Forrester’s affair with another man, Herbert loses faith in her and all he thought she represented. Content warning for one use of the N-word. - Summary by Rob Marland

18 episodes

The Power of a Lie

Norby is requested to guarantee a bank loan for Wangen and he obliges, signing the loan document in the presence of a witness. Some time later the witness dies. Years after that Wangen defaults on the loan, requiring Norby to pay the balance, but Norby declares his signature on the document to be a forgery. The profound effects of this lie on Wangen, Norby, their wives, families and community form the basis of this brilliant Norwegian novel, presented here in a first-rate English translation. (Lee Smalley)

25 episodes

Tarzan and the Golden Lion

Tarzan's amazing ability to establish kinship with some of the most dangerous animals in the jungle serves him well in this exciting story of his adventures with the Golden Lion, Jad-bal-ja, when the great and lordly animal becomes his ally and protector. Tarzan learns from the High Priestess, La, of a country north of Opar which is held in dread by the Oparians. It is peopled by a strange race of gorilla-men with the intelligence of humans and the strength of gorillas. From time to time they attack Opar, carrying off prisoners for use as slaves in the jewel-studded Temple where they worship a great black-maned lion. Accompanied by the faithful Jad-bal-ja, Tarzan invades the dread country in an attempt to win freedom for the hundreds of people held in slavery there... - Summary by Edgar Rice Burroughs Proof-listeners: softstepgd and Mark Nelson

21 episodes

The Daredevil

Roberta, daughter of an American soldier and a French marquise, is returning to the childhood home of her father after his death in the Great War. Upon reaching New York she realizes that her Uncle, a woman-hater, has confused the genders of her and her small crippled brother. In order to please her Uncle and ensure medical treatment for Pierre, she becomes "Robert", his nephew. In her new identity she secures supplies for France, has many hilarious close-calls, and manages to fall in love with the Governor. - Summary by LikeManyWaters

20 episodes

Maybe--Tomorrow

Maybe--tomorrow, by Jay Little (pseudonym for Clarence Lewis Miller) published in 1952* based in the confusing latter part of his teenage years, tells the story of the introverted and forlorn Gaylord LeClarie coming to terms with the world around him and who he is. Gaylord must navigate everything from sex, his own sexuality and his own gender identity. friendship, Love and self-acceptance in a sometimes hostile world... - Summary by Curt Troutwine

29 episodes

Just As I Am

The murder has finally been solved. After 20 years, Humphrey Vargas came with his dog, seemingly from no where, and informed the magistrate of the county that he murdered the popular Mr. Blake. He even told the magistrate the whole story. This book picks up where other books end and shows how this revelation brings about a chain of unexpected events. Knowing who murdered such a popular man does not make things any easier around the county, as memories finally surface, and relationships may change forever. - Summary by Stav Nisser.

53 episodes

City of Endless Night

An example of early dystopian science fiction written shortly after World War I, "City of Endless Night" imagines a future with a very different ending to the Great War. Set in 2151 and in an underground Berlin, our protagonist is Lyman De Forrest, an American chemist who enters the city to discover the hidden truths of a forbidden metropolis. The subterranean world hosts a highly-regimented society of 300,000,000 sun-starved humans. As the first outsider to enter, he's horrified by what he finds, but will he accomplish his mission and escape the living tomb? - Summary by Kate Follis

18 episodes

The Story of a Whim

A group of girls send gifts and letters to one whom they think to be a young woman like them. "Christie" is really a poor young bachelor tending his orange grove in sunny Florida. Through his correspondence with Hazel (who still thinks he's a girl) he becomes a Christian, and falls in love with her. What will happen when she takes a trip south to meet her dear pen-pal? - Summary by LikeManyWaters

12 episodes

Pierre & Jean

This short novel’s titular characters are brothers. An old family friend dies, leaving without explanation his entire fortune to Jean, the younger brother. Pierre, the protagonist, is puzzled, jealous, and increasingly bitter. A bequest, a secret, a major decision. This, Maupassant’s fourth novel, is considered by many to be his finest. (Lee Smalley)

9 episodes

The Big Blue Soldier

Back from the Great War, a penniless and disillusioned young soldier finds himself in the home of Miss Marilla Chadwick, a sweet old lady who is expecting her nephew for dinner. Mary Amber, Miss Marilla's neighbor, is also there. He hates girls. She hates men. What will be the result? He will fight girl in the concrete! - Summary by LikeManyWaters

7 episodes

Freckles (Version 2)

Freckles is a young man who has been raised since infancy in a Chicago orphanage. His one dream is to find a job, a place to belong and people who accept him despite his youth and the disability of having only one hand. He finds this place in the Limberlost Swamp, as a Limberlost guard of precious timber. In the process, he discovers a love for the wilderness and animals he encounters every day on his rounds and a burning desire to learn about all the new birds and plants he sees on his rounds every day. He also finds and falls in love with a girl he calls the "Swamp Angel." This is the story of his plucky courage in sticking to his job in the swamp, and his adventures in learning about the natural world he finds himself in every day. He is befriended by the "Bird Woman" and with her help learns to love the Limberlost he has been hired to guard. - Summary by Mary Anderson

20 episodes

El País del Placer

El país del placer llamada así por la primera traducción en español de esta novela de Edith Wharton publicada por la revista La España Moderna en 1910 (título original en inglés: The House of Mirth) es la segunda novela de Edith Wharton, publicada en 1905. Narra el drama personal de una mujer agraciada en la alta sociedad de Nueva York de inicios del siglo XX. - Summary by Phileas Fogg

29 episodes

Three Stories & Ten Poems

The author arranged for this collection of three short stories and ten poems to be printed in a small run of 300 copies in Dijon (France.) The book entered into the public domain in 2019. - Summary by KevinS

13 episodes

Ruffles and Danny, or the Responsibilty of Ruffles

A nice little story about a widower, his 18-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son, and their vacation from their home in Colorado to the shores of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. There they meet some friendly locals, and... the story continues. The reader picked up this book at a thrift store, saw it was out of copyright, and recorded it "sight unseen". It was worth the risk. (Summary by TriciaG)

18 episodes

Jaffery

The book follows the lives of Hilary, the narrator, and three of his friends whom he met at Cambridge. One soon dies - another (Adrian) writes a hugely successful novel and marries Doria. Jaffery is a larger than life character who falls in love with Doria at first sight. Also in the story are Liosha, a fiery Albanian widow rescued from a life of servitude partly by Jaffery’s intervention, and Barbara, the steadfast wife of Hilary. Their lives change and the story develops as Adrian struggles to write his second novel. (Summary by Simon Evers)

26 episodes

Pep: The Story Of A Brave Dog

This 1922 adventure story for youth and dog lovers will delight anyone with just a little suspension of disbelief. Sentimental and anthropomorphic, it’s still a good read/listen for those who would appreciate how a devoted dog saved his physician master’s life during World War I. Clarence Hawkes, crippled and blind, was a prolific, popular writer, well-known for his nature stories in the twentieth century. - Summary by David Wales

5 episodes

The Girl From Hollywood

The countryside outside of Los Angeles is a paradise on Earth: nature gives bounty on the land, the animals are majestic, the oaks breathe and the natural pools and ponds are all you would want on a summer's day. And if you are a Pennington or an Evans, life is simple and complete. However, every paradise has a serpent. For Rancho Ganado, that comes in the shape of Bootlegging, Drugs and Murder. All the vice of nearby Hollywood manifest themselves in the picturesque landscape, throwing the lives of these families into turmoil. - Summary by Joseph DeNoiaProof-listened by KevinS and linny

37 episodes

Molly Brown's Senior Days

This novel is the fourth in a series of eight books written about Miss Molly Brown of Kentucky during her education at Wellington College in the early years of the 1900's. - Summary by Lynda Marie Neilson

22 episodes

The Diamond Pin

Eccentric and wealthy New York widow Ursula Pell loves playing cruel jokes on her guests and particularly on her niece and nephew who are destined to inherit the millions in gems left to her by her late husband. Therefore when she is found brutally murdered in a locked room the morning after a dinner party her niece Iris the most recent victim of Ursula's humiliating pranks is first suspected until all the clues point to her nephew. Where did she stash the gemstones and the much mentioned diamond pin promised Iris. Enter Fleming Stone, famous detective who hopefully can prove the innocence of the nephew, the true value of the diamond pin and discover WHO killed Mrs. Pell. - Summary by Celine Major

18 episodes

The Wonderful Year

Martin Overshaw and Corinna Hastings are leading dull and unproductive lives in Paris, having fled humdrum England. They fall in with Fortinbras, who calls himself a Marchand de Bonheur. He predicts a bright future for them and suggests they set out on a journey through France together. The book follows their adventure which turns out to be far more complicated than it might at first seem. They meet a variety of characters on the way and the looming threat of the First World War overshadows the second half of the book, which nonetheless ends happily for all concerned.

24 episodes

The Thirteen Travelers

The year is 1919 and peace has sprung upon the world after the unspeakable carnage of World War I. The place is Hortons, a building of expensive flats on Duke Street just off Piccadilly, London. Social structures are disintegrating, expectations are not being met, people are confused, life is different. Each story is about a person who lives or works at Hortons, all struggling to adjust to life as it has radically changed. Twelve short stories, published in 1921, by the early twentieth century very popular English writer, Hugh Walpole. - Summary by david wales

12 episodes

The Green Overcoat

This rollicking novel captures the minor moral dilemma of thin, shy, nervous, Professor Higginson, psychologist, as he comes under the eye of the enemy of his soul through an encounter with a green overcoat. The quixotic adventure that follows will bring the childlike reader laughter like rainfall. This is Belloc at his Chestertonian best! - Summary by Russ Hobbs

19 episodes

The Leopard's Claw

A love and adventure story with the West African jungle as the main backdrop. We gain some insight into the spiritual influence of African social institutions and conditions of African inner life. (kirk202)

36 episodes

The Man of the Desert

Fleeing from an aggressive suitor, Hazel Radcliffe becomes hopelessly lost in the Arizona desert. Exhausted, she falls unconscious from her pony. Soon she is found by John Brownleigh, a handsome missionary who lives nearby. As he cares for her, a strong and true love grows between them. She was raised in luxury, he was raised to serve God. They part knowing very little about each other except for the love they feel. Back home among her family and friends, Hazel makes an important decision. She will do all she can to change, but can she do so before it's too late? Follow her journey of coming closer to the Lord and finding true love in an unlikely place. - Summary by LikeManyWaters

17 episodes

The Lonely Warrior

An idealistic American enlists and fights in The Great War. This novel focuses on his life after returning to the US “hard-boiled” and cynical, a disillusioned and embittered young man who has lost all interest in his family, his job, and his fiancé. Outraged by the fact of war, he takes refuge in apathy. It is the story of many others like himself who become lonely and discouraged and of their struggles to readjust to the changing world around them. “It is a great book.” – William Allen White “It has moments of rare vividness and power.” – Philadelphia Record ( Lee Smalley)

29 episodes

The Affair at the Semiramis Hotel

Inspector Hanaud is a member of the French Sûreté. He is said to have been the model for Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, as well as the opposite of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. The Affair At The Semiramis Hotel (1917), a novella, is the second Hanaud mystery. Did the robbery/murder really happen or was it the mescal-induced hallucination of the witness? The first novel is At The Villa Rose (1910). The third is The House Of The Arrow (1924) (there are seven through 1949, available at project gutenberg Australia). In 1910, Mason undertook to create a fictional detective as different as possible from Sherlock Holmes, who had recently been resuscitated after his supposed death by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1903. Inspector Gabriel Hanaud was stout, not gaunt like Holmes; a professional policeman, not a gentleman amateur; from the French Sûreté, not Victorian England; and relying on psychological insights rather than physical evidence. His "Watson" is a retired London banker named Mr. Julius Ricardo. - Summary by David Wales

4 episodes

The Old Ladies

“Quite a number of years ago there was an old rickety building on the rock above Seatown in Polchester, and it was one of a number in an old grass-grown square known as Pontippy Square. In this house at one time or another lived three old ladies,… It was a windy, creaky, rain-bitten dwelling-place for three old ladies….” (excerpt from the book) During the mid 1920s Walpole produced two of his best-known novels in the macabre vein that he drew on from time to time, exploring the fascination of fear and cruelty. The Old Ladies (1924) is a study of a timid elderly spinster exploited and eventually frightened to death by a predatory widow.

12 episodes

Le Grand Meaulnes

Roman très célèbre. Amour, amitiés, adolescence Société de l'époque, et aussi la Nature Roman psychologique de grande et belle finesse, d’un talent très fluide Retrouvons nos chers Augustin Meaulnes et Yvonne de Galais… - Summary by Christiane Jehanne

46 episodes

Bill the Conqueror

Hailed as one of the funniest writers of the 20th century, P. G. Wodehouse cheerfully radiates humor that is both sophisticated and popular. In Bill the Conqueror, Wodehouse creates an array of entertaining characters who gallop around England and America in quest of love and money. Our far-from-perfect hero Bill is a dissipated American former football player and man of action, who tangles with odious relatives, bumbling gangsters, suave white-collar crooks, and even his exasperating but well-meaning friend Judson, as he seeks to become worthy of the woman of his dreams, whichever one she might be. As you might expect, the course of true love never did run smooth. ( Carol Pelster)

26 episodes

Bransford Of Rainbow Range

A genuine cowboy who speaks a bit of Greek? Ditto a bit of The Litany? And more than a little verse, including (would you believe?) Alice In Wonderland. What kind of young man do we have here? And a young woman who matches him without effort? And a definitely literate narrator with his tongue firmly inserted in cheek. There’s a bank robbery and an attempted murder. A desperate ride across the desert and a warm welcome by good Mexican friends. It’s all a great deal of fun. Eugene Manlove Rhodes (1869 – 1934) was an American writer, nicknamed the "cowboy chronicler". He lived in south central New Mexico when the first cattle ranching and cowboys arrived in the area; when he moved to New York with his wife in 1899, he wrote stories of the American West that set the image of cowboy life in that era. Originally Published under the title of Bransford In Arcadia Or The Little Eohippus (1913). Note: eohippus, which plays a part all through the story, is the small prehistoric five-toed ancestor of the modern-day horse. - Summary by david wales

19 episodes

A Lost Lady (Verson 2)

Charismatic Marian Forrester, the wife of a railroad pioneer, captures the heart of every person she meets. Niel Herbert is no exception. He has adored Mrs. Forrester since the age of twelve, considering her the epitome of feminine charm and grace. However, as Niel comes of age, he is shocked to find that Mrs. Forrester is not all that she seems. Content warning for one use of the N-word (Part 1, Chapter 8). (Summary by cadastra)

18 episodes

El jardín de los cerezos

El jardín de los cerezos es la última de las piezas principales de Chéjov (las otras son La gaviota, Tío Vania y Las tres hermanas). Se trata de una comedia escrita en cuatro actos, ambientada en el declive económico de la aristocracia rusa a finales del siglo XIX. Durante este periodo, los hijos de los que habían sido sus esclavos se enriquecían y tenía lugar una inversión de papeles que ponía en entredicho la forma de vida de las clases adineradas tradicionales. - Summary by Phileas Fogg

5 episodes