Riding the Tides: The Bangham Family Story, Part 2

David Paterson’s narration is the secret weapon of this audiobook. His ability to modulate between the rough-hewn dialects of Coalbrookdale’s laborers and the nasally inflections of Bridgnorth’s merchant class is nothing short of vocal alchemy. When Joe describes the stifling heat of the foundry or Richard’s wife critiques his ‘common’ table manners, Paterson doesn’t just read the lines—he inhabits them, making the class divide feel as tangible as the soot on their sleeves. That said, his occasional tendency to over-emote in dialogue tags (a too-precise ‘she declared frostily’) can momentarily jolt you out of the immersion. The production itself is crisp, with no distracting background hiss, though the audiobook’s runtime feels long for the story’s scope—I’d have trimmed 30 minutes without sacrificing depth. Freeman’s storytelling is at its strongest when she zooms in on the unspoken tensions between Joe and Richard. Their reunion after years apart is charged with resentment and reluctant pride, a dynamic that feels achingly real. Where the book stumbles is in its secondary characters; the Bridgnorth in-laws come off as caricatures, their snobbery leaning too heavily into the ‘stock villain’ trope. Still, this is a minor quibble in an otherwise engrossing tale. The audiobook’s standout moment? A scene where Joe, drunk on a rare night off, rages against the ‘bloody tides’ that swept his brother away—a raw, unfiltered outburst that Paterson sells with raw vocal power. If you love sagas where history feels lived-in rather than lectured, this is a winner.