Audiobooks by Edna Ferber

CIMARRON: A Western Historical Fiction Classic | Frontier Life and the Oklahoma Land Rush

"Set against the vast and untamed landscape of the American frontier, Cimarron is a Pulitzer Prize-winning work of historical fiction that captures the spirit of the Oklahoma Land Rush and the struggle to build a new life in a changing nation. Edna Ferber’s powerful novel follows Yancey and Sabra Cravat as they journey into the unsettled territories, facing hardship, ambition, and the challenges of shaping a community from the ground up. Rich in historical detail and emotional depth, the story explores themes of courage, leadership, equality, and the price of progress during one of the most transformative eras in United States history. From frontier towns to political halls, the novel paints a vivid portrait of a society in motion. This complete unabridged audiobook edition is narrated by Tracy Peace, whose clear and engaging performance brings new life to this classic Western historical saga while preserving the tone and authenticity of the original text. Ideal for listeners who enjoy Western fiction, classic literature, and sweeping historical epics, Cimarron remains one of the most enduring stories of the American West. Public domain text. Professionally produced audiobook edition for modern audiences."

Edna Ferber (Author), Tracy Peace (Narrator)

Audiobook

So Big

"This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice. Winner of the 1924 Pulitzer Prize, So Big is widely regarded as Edna Ferber's crowning achievement. A rollicking panorama of Chicago's high and low life, this stunning novel follows the travails of gambler's daughter Selina Peake DeJong as she struggles to maintain her dignity, her family, and her sanity in the face of monumental challenges."

Edna Ferber (Author), Digital Voice Madison G (Narrator)

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Porch Swings, Parlors & Pryin’ Eyes: Gossip, Gumption, and the Glories of Small-Town Life

"In the towns where the porch lights glow late, the screen doors creak often, and no secret stays secret for long, life unfolds with charm, chatter, and more than a touch of mischief. Porch Swings, Parlors & Pryin’ Eyes invites you into parlors both prim and peculiar, where romances are whispered behind teacups, rivalries simmer at choir practice, and widows form committees with suspicious speed. Within these sixteen short stories, you’ll find aging sopranos and checker champions, tangled telegrams and moonlit deacons, poker parties gone sideways and gossip spun tighter than a handmade scarf. Each tale captures the distinct rhythms of small-town American life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—with all its humor, heartbreak, and sly subversion of social norms. These are stories not just of people, but of places—of communities that cradle, confine, and sometimes surprise those who call them home. Pull up a chair, pour something sweet, and don’t be surprised if someone starts talkin’ about you next. Featuring the work of renowned authors and some hidden gems of classic American fiction, including: The Gay Old Dog, by Edna Ferber Melinda's Humorous Story, by May McHenry Friends in San Rosario, by O. Henry The Associated Widows, by Katharine M. Roof The Tale of the Tangled Telegram, by Wilbur D. Nesbit A Village Singer, by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman A New England Nun, by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman The Scarf, by Madeline Yale Wynne The Champion Checker-Player of Ameriky, by James Whitcomb Riley How The Widow Won The Deacon, by William James Lampton Evan Anderson's Poker Party, by Benjamin Stevenson A Rivermouth Romance, by Thomas Bailey Aldrich Not According to Schedule, by Mary Stewart Cutting A Reward of Merit, by Booth Tarkington Sand Flat Shadows, by Carl Sandburg Mrs. Lathrop's Love Affair, by Anne Warner"

Anne Warner, Benjamin Stevenson, Booth Tarkington, Carl Sandburg, Edna Ferber, James Riley, Katharine M. Roof, Madeline Yale Wynne, Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Mary Stewart Cutting, May McHenry, O. Henry, Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Wilbur D. Nesbit, William James Lampton (Author), A.J. Schuck, Alex Picard, Emma Faye, John Hopkinson, Meghan Kelly, Rebecca Stern, Shannon Nicole Locke (Narrator)

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The girls

"This audiobook is narrated by a digital voice. The Girls by Edna Ferber is a masterful portrait of generational conflict, gender expectations, and the evolving role of women in early 20th-century American society. Through the nuanced portrayal of a family of women—bound by duty, tradition, and unspoken desires—Ferber examines the tensions between personal ambition and societal obligation with her trademark blend of realism, empathy, and subtle wit. The novel is both an intimate domestic drama and a broader social commentary, charting the invisible forces that shape women’s lives across time. At the heart of the story are sisters and daughters navigating the changing tides of womanhood—some content with the path laid before them, others quietly yearning for something more. Whether caring for aging parents, suppressing their own dreams for the sake of family, or daring to imagine a life of independence, each character reflects a distinct facet of the female experience. Ferber’s narrative resists melodrama, instead drawing its power from the everyday sacrifices, disappointments, and small acts of courage that define these women’s journeys. Set in modest homes and bustling American towns, The Girls presents a textured vision of a world in flux—where suffrage, education, and personal agency are beginning to challenge traditional norms. Ferber’s prose captures both the nostalgia of family legacy and the quiet revolution unfolding within domestic walls. With deep compassion and literary restraint, she gives voice to women who are often overlooked by history, but whose inner lives pulse with complexity and strength."

Edna Ferber (Author), Digital Voice Andrew E (Narrator)

Audiobook

The Girls

"The Girls is the story of three spinsters living in Chicago—an aunt, her niece, and her niece’s niece. The aunt has memories of the Civil War, and all three women have adjusted to the outbreak of the First World War. Generational changes, particularly in regard to romantic attachments, are a central feature of the book, which is also a fascinating portrait of the Chicago lifestyle of the time. The emerging political and social power of women is also a significant feature of the story."

Edna Ferber (Author), Martha H. Weller (Narrator)

Audiobook

Edna Ferber: THE HOMELY HEROINE: 4 Special stories by Edna Ferber

"Who ever heard of a plain and downright homely heroine? Isn't a heroine by definition beautiful? Well, Edna Ferber, in her well known style that later produced Show Boat and Giant, tells us about just such a heroine in the first of these four special short stories. They are special to me because of their insight into the deep courage and faith of 'ordinary' people, people like most of us. And of course our failings and frailties and sometimes, the prince does not marry the right person. The other stories are A Bush League Hero, What she Wore and The Man Who Came Back."

Edna Ferber (Author), Philip Chenevert (Narrator)

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Edna Ferber: Personality Plus: SOME EXPERIENCES OF EMMA McCHESNEY AND HER SON, JOCK

"Personality Plus is an early novel by American author Edna Ferber. Originally published in 1914, Personality Plus is the second of three volumes chronicling the travels and events in the life of Emma McChesney. Ferber achieved her first successes with a series of stories centering around this character, a stylish and intelligent divorced mother who rises rapidly in business"

Edna Ferber (Author), Philip Chenevert (Narrator)

Audiobook

Edna Ferber: Roast Beef, Medium

"This book follows the adventures of Emma McChesney, a smart and savvy divorced mother who travels the Midwest as a sales representative for a large skirt and petticoat manufacturer. Her many adventures with people, (including predatory salesmen and hotel clerks), are funny and poignant. She is hardworking and able to outsell the slickest of the men salesmen. She has learned to focus on her work and her seventeen-year-old son, Jock. Experience has taught her that it is usually best to stick to roast beef, medium and not get stomach ache with fancy sauces and exotic dishes. This is the first of three volumes following the career and adventures of Emma McChesney."

Edna Ferber (Author), Philip Chenevert (Narrator)

Audiobook

Edna Ferber: Emma McChesney & Co.: Book 3 in the trilogy of the Savvy Emma McChesney

"This is the final volume in the trilogy following the smart, stylish, divorced and independent businesswoman Emma McChesney in her career from stenographer, then drummer (traveling salesman) to owner of her own company. (The first was Roast Beef, Medium and the second Personality Plus). Edna Ferber first gained success with these stories and later went on to write Show Boat, Giant and other hugely popular books. First published in 1915, Emma's son, Jock, has moved to Chicago with his new wife. Emma decides to sell in South America and proves she has not lost her magic touch. Emma gets involved in romance, saving a business and many other things. Emma symbolizes the ideal woman at the dawn of the twentieth century: sharp, capable, charming, and progressive."

Edna Ferber (Author), Philip Chenevert (Narrator)

Audiobook

Feminist Literary Classics - Volume III - Orlando: A Biography - O Pioneers! - So Big

"Presented here is Volume III of our Feminist Literary Classics series, featuring three of the most important feminist novels ever written: Orlando: A Biography by Virginia Woolf, O Pioneers! by Willa Cather and So Big by Edna Ferber. The first book in this collection is Orlando: A Biography, a groundbreaking English novel by Virginia Woolf that explores English history, gender roles and sexual politics in a way few books have before or since. The story follows the life of an aristocratic nobleman who changes sex from man to woman and goes on to live for centuries, meeting all of the most influential and powerful figures in English history. Next, we have O Pioneers! by Willa Cather, the first book of the 'Prairie Trilogy' and one of the most powerful, moving books about life as a farmer in early 20th century America ever written. O Pioneers! solidified Willa Cather as a major literary force and she swiftly became the voice of the Midwest. And finally, we present So Big, Edna Ferber's breakout, Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of life on an American farm and features one of the most iconic characters in 20th century fiction, the hardscrabble schoolteacher-turned-truck-farmer Selina Peake DeJong. Each of these books is presented in its original and unabridged format."

Edna Ferber, Virginia Woolf, Willa Cather (Author), Sara Nichols (Narrator)

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Edna Ferber: The Dancing girls

"Edna Ferber was an American novelist, short story writer and playwright. Her novels were popular in her lifetime and included the Pulitzer Prize-winning So Big (1924), Show Boat (1926; made into the celebrated 1927 musical), Cimarron (1929; made into the 1931 film which won the Academy Award for Best Picture), and Giant (1952; made into the 1956 Hollywood movie). Dancing Girls contains her unique mix of real people, sadness, joy and always humor and is my favorite for the way she paints a picture of mid America small town society and how good people somehow (and sometimes) can find their way to each other."

Edna Ferber (Author), Philip Chenevert (Narrator)

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Edna Ferber: Long Distance: Romance is often closer than we think

"Telephone lineman in the early 1900s were known for their very vocal appreciation of any and all female beauty as it walked below on the street. From their lofty perch they felt safe to whistle and shout their thanks to the lovely ladies who passed anywhere within their visual range. The women thus admired often expressed distain and dislike of this outward expression by the men but they usually walked away with their complexions a bit rosier than before. This, as we now know of course, was very inappropriate and something to be sternly discouraged but at the time all parties involved somehow to managed survive and even thrive. This story is about such an encounter. But the lady involved did not just blush and walk away, she stopped and invited the man on the pole to come down and get his face slapped for his impudence. She was of Irish descent and did not put up with uppity and distasteful men. Well, the man did come down and did indeed get a resounding slap from her. What happened after this I will let the listener discover in this delightful tale of men and women and their mysterious doings."

Edna Ferber (Author), Philip Chenevert (Narrator)

Audiobook

Audiobooks by Edna Ferber

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