Aisholpan Nurgaiv is a real-life Kazakh girl who became the first female entrant and winner in Mongolia's prestigious Golden Eagle Festival. Hunting with eagles is an ancient skill traditionally limited to males. Narrator Alexa Khan uses her youthful voice to re-create Nurgaiv's accented English. This gives the first-person story a feeling of authenticity, as Nurgaiv frequently describes her unfamiliarity with the world outside her nomadic life in Mongolia. However, the stilted speech pattern makes the story's pace quite slow, a weakness that is compounded by the absence of contractions in Nurgaiv's writing. Nurgaiv has an even temperament, but Khan also expresses her occasional frustrations, her sadness over the death of a beloved relative, and her excitement upon winning the competition.
(Memoir. 8-12)Pub Date: May 12, 2020
Duration: 3 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781549101663
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Ken Coleman's expertise as a baseball announcer enriches this history of the Boston Red Sox since the sale of Babe Ruth to the N.Y. Yankees. He leads off with a grim account of this transaction, which started the curse that has plagued the Red Sox ever since. The sermon-like tone will amuse non-believers and comfort listeners who are certain the team is cursed. Like the ups and downs of Boston's play through the years, the narrator's voice fluctuates--exuberant and then despondent--in tone and tempo accurately reflecting the mood of any given baseball season. The narrator is very successful at conveying the emotional roller coaster ride Red Sox fans have endured as a result of the curse of the Bambino.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: HighBridge Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
A fresh, dynamic interpretation of Woodson's poetry.
Woodson originally narrated her memoir in 2014, and this updated production features a lively chorus of voices, a new bonus chapter, and testimonies about the legacy of Brown Girl Dreaming. The audiobook opens with spare guitar music, and Woodson narrates her new, emotion-filled introduction. The chorus—Denée Benton, Marley Dias, Dominique Fishback, Big Freedia, Montego Glover, Nicole Ari Parker, Tika Sumpter, and Lena Waithe—then jumps in, each contributor delivering one poem and passing the mic to another voice for the next. The variety of voices adds a little spice, as their narration styles are very different from one another. Snappy musical interludes by Toshi Reagon feature before each section.
A fresh, dynamic interpretation of Woodson's poetry. (Memoir/poetry. 8-12)Pub Date: May 12, 2026
Duration: 4 hrs, 11 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217175611
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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