3 Literary Listens to Explore this Winter

Three audiobooks to add to your playlist

Listening to a book is a different experience than physically reading one, but sometimes audiobooks add to the experience, giving you encounter the characters and narrative in a different way than you would if you were just reading it on the page. If you’re looking for a few literary listens to liven up your digital library, here are a few we’d encourage you to give a listen! 

The Correspondent

Virginia Evans

With 10 weeks on top of the New York Times bestseller list, The Correspondent is everywhere. Evans’ debut novel recounts the life of Sybil Van Antwerp, a retired lawyer, through her copious correspondence, ranging from letters and notes to emails and texts. While the novel is good on its own, it shines as an audiobook. A large cast of 13 readers bring the book to life, giving voice to Sybil’s friends, children, neighbors, former colleagues, teenage penpal and more. Presenting a novel that’s composed entirely of letters and notes as an audio book had to be a daunting task for the voice actors, but their performance enhances and elevates an already great book. 

The Widow

John Grisham

John Grisham is a well-known name when it comes to legal fiction, but The Widow marks his first foray into whodunit territory. The book, currently in the top 20 of Audible’s bestseller list, tells the story of Simon Latch, a small-town lawyer in Virginia, who’s hired to draft a new will for Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow with a fortune no one’s supposed to know about. But, of course, nothing is exactly as it seems, and Simon soon finds himself on trial for a crime he didn’t commit and desperately seeking to figure out who did. Frequent Grisham audiobook narrator Michael Beck reads the novel, lending his rich voice to the tale with just the right mix of Southern twang and a bit of rasp. 

The Great Alone

Kristin Hannah

The Great Alone, penned by Kristin Hannah, is about survival. Surviving the wilds of Alaska, yes, but also the wild, unpredictable nature of family. The Great Alone follows Ernt Allbright and his family as they move to Alaska for a fresh start. Ernt, a former POW, has returned from Vietnam, and the experience has left him volatile and angry. With Leni, Ernt and Cora’s 13-year-old daughter along for the ride, the move is simultaneously fraught with danger and filled with hope for a new way forward. As the darkness of winter descends, Ernt’s already fragile mental health begins to fracture, along with the very structure of his family. In the great alone of the last great frontier, Cora and Leni soon learn there’s no one to save them but themselves. Popular audiobook narrator Julia Whelan lends her voice to the audio version, building the tension and intrigue with just the right amount of emphasis. 

What are you listening to? Share your audiobook recommendations in the comments! 

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