The Silent Songbird

Gr 7 Up—Evangeline is an orphan and the ward of the king of England. When Richard II promises Evangeline to Lord Shiveley, she decides she would rather be a peasant than Lord Shiveley's wife and runs away with her maidservant. She is now at a small country estate and is pretending to be mute to hide her identity. Will Evangeline be able to stay hidden while also living her life? Is love a possibility for a woman of noble birth? Although this is the seventh installment, this novel stands well on its own. Dickerson doesn't need to spend a lot of time on world-building, because the story takes place in 14th-century England, which will be familiar to most listeners of historical fiction. The romance is constantly pulling at the edges of the first half of the book, and the end result is predictable yet enjoyable. Jude Mason's narration is smooth, but it doesn't add any extra flavor to the experience.