Listeners can expect tears to well up when Anne Dover narrates this heartbreaking story of two English sisters who are abandoned by their mother and raised in an orphanage, where they are bound together by sorrow and suffering–and love. Dover reads this WWII novel with passion and precision, portraying the characters expertly. Listeners won’t forget the woeful voice of little Etty calling for her departing mother. Equally memorable is the voice of the mature Etty as she uncovers the ravaged face of her sister, a bombing casualty This production paints a vivid picture of life in England during this time period as it explores the different kinds of love that give meaning to living. D.L.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine Link to AudioFile review.
I consider Anne Dover to be one of the foremost audio book narrators in the UK. The preparation she undertakes for all her characters and narrative shines through in the first class performance that she always delivers. Anne has a warm, easy to listen to voice that is ageless. No genre defines her, as she narrates family sagas, thrillers and non-fiction with equal talent and authenticity.
Carolyn Oldershaw, Senior Producer, White House Sound
Anne Dover is one of the most adept readers we have ever worked with in our 40 year history at White House Sound. Anne’s ability to intelligently interpret a script or narrative means she squeezes every ounce out of a book and has won legions of fans. Characterisations are real, colourful and life-like, regional dialogues are spot on. Anne’s pace and delivery mean the listeners are hooked from the first page. Anne’s sight reading skills are second to none and she always preps the work to highest of standards. We love working with Anne and enjoy her visits to the studio immensely. She is a titan in the audiobook world and I struggle to think of anybody who could provide you with a more engaging performance.
Christopher Perks, Operations Manager, White House Sound
It is high time I wrote to thank you for the wonderful way you read my books.
I am amazed at the way you can tackle any accent, and even more by the skill with which you make every character different – and real.
Even though I’ve written the book, and therefore know all about it, I listen with great pleasure as my characters come to life.
Yours sincerely, Elvi
The Eye of Love by Margery Sharp
If Sharp is famous at all, it is for the children’s story The Rescuers (animated by Disney), but she also deserves acclaim for The Eye of Love. This sharp little gem from the 1950s tells the story of two lovers (Dolores, and ageing shop assistant, and Harry, a furrier) forced apart by financial exigencies – Harry must marry his boss’s daughter or face ruin. Sharp’s exquisite understanding of and sympathy for their plight are inextricable from her awareness of the absurdity of daily life – even at its most passionate and tragic – as their saga unfolds Dover reads this deliciously entertaining tale with self-effacing brilliance.
Sunday Times audiobook of the week
Let Me Go by Helga Schneider
Being abandoned by your mother when you are four might be considered misfortune enough; is she leaves you to pursue her “career” as a concentration camp guard, first in Ravensbruck, then at Birkenau, pain is allied with horror. This is Schneider’s account of the visit she made to her 90-year-old mother, whom she had seen only once since 1941 (when the mother had ignored her toddler grandson and tried to give her daughter jewellery stolen from Jewish prisoners). The old lady remains unrepentant: she talks coolly about gassing Jews and helping with medical experimented in the camps, failing to display the maternal love Schneider hoped for. This is a chilling insight in the the mentality that made the Holocaust possible.
Sunday Times audiobook of the week
The Lost Girls by Gwen Moffat
I am deeply indebted to you for your perceptive reading of THE LOST GIRLS. I have done no work today as, with increasing delight, I discover how you have portrayed different characters and described crucial scenes. Although I find it all good, both narrative and dialogue, your rendering of Edith, the murderer, is not only correct but awe-inspiring.
Gwen Moffat
Hidden Depths by Ann Cleeves
Narrator Anne Dover does a sublime job portraying Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope in the third installment of this eight-part series. When Julie Armstrong returns home from a night out, she’s horrified to find her son, Luke, drowned in the bathtub and covered with flowers. Convincing descriptions of the majestic Northumberland seaside; the overweight, poorly dressed, alcoholic Stanhope; and her fit, dapper assistant, Joe Ashworth, paint vivid pictures for listeners. Dover is at her most moving as the grieving mother who blames herself and as the tough but compassionate policewoman. The two partners, Stanhope’s and Ashworth, have immense respect for each other, and Dover captures it in their dialogue. Listeners will be further engaged by hearing Stanhope’s thoughts and the resolute questioning of secretive suspects as the story zeroes in on an unexpected but logical perpetrator. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2018]
The Treasures of Time by Penelope Lively
Within a narrative of action and relationships, there is a rich seam of sound ideas about life, expressed by Tom, working for his D.Phil on eighteenth-century antiquarian Thomas Stukeley. There are plenty of people likeStukeley, he realises, willing to ‘massage’ the past for their own advantage, including himself, and BBC producer Tony, and pitiably awful Laura, widow of the archaeologist Hugh Paxton on whom Tony is doing a ‘feature’.
Hugh’s daughter and his sister-in-law would prefer to keep the past to themselves. the account of Tom and Tony “free-wheeling around England” on the motorways is memorably realistic and highly comic. Tome comes from Rotherham, and Anne Dover in her excellent reading gives full weight to his Yorkshire accent. A refreshing listen.
Emily by Val Wood
What a wonderful story and read beautifully by my favourite narrator, Anne Dover
Born Survivors by Wendy Holden
Beautifully written and narrated.
Hattie’s Home by Mary Gibson
Another fantastic story. Liked all the characters weak and strong, due to the brilliant narration by Anne Dover, who I hope Mary Gibson sticks with for all her books.
The Throwaway Children by Diney Costeloe
I felt totally immersed in the lives of the characters, brought even more vividly to life by the excellent voices of the narrator.
Anne Dover is my favourite narrator by far and this book was fantastic. Great story-line with the best narrator I have found.
The Code Girls by Daisy Styles
The narrator Anne Dover is excellent. I love her gritty Northern accent, her Norfolk brogue and her snooty posh girl voice which makes it all such a delight to listen to.
Doctor of the High Fells by Elizabeth Gill
Anne has a wonderful range of characters and so easy to listen to.