Stefan Rudnicki's narration is engaging and conversational, an approach needed for this complex account of the life of Janusz Korczak. The noted Polish-Jewish pediatrician became the protector of orphans in the Warsaw Ghetto of WWII. He was so devoted that he comforted his children into Treblinka's gas chambers rather than escape the Nazis himself. The audiobook places Korczak's life in its historical context, and Rudnicki moves smoothly as the story ranges from Korczak's loving views on childhood to Hitler's beliefs about and practices of racial superiority and extermination. Rudnicki approaches the author's absorbing material with a combination of reserve that carries listeners through difficult descriptions and emotionalism that illuminates the story's focus on courage and the powerful theme of good versus evil.
(Nonfiction. 14-adult)Pub Date: Sept. 10, 2019
Duration: 9 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593105122
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Compelling, emotional, and well researched, this audiobook brings to life the stories of four young people from abolitionist families. Using primary sources to highlight the tumult of the time period leading up to and during the Civil War, the coming-of-age story focuses on Lewis Douglass, son of Frederick Douglass; George Garrison, son of William Lloyd Garrison; Lucy McKim, daughter of Miller McKim; and Charlotte Forten, granddaughter of James Forten. A talented team of narrators-- including the author--do an excellent job of communicating the fear, sadness, determination, and hope of those who were entrenched in the fight against slavery. Listeners will be inspired by this story of family, activism, and legacy.
(Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 10, 2025
Duration: 7 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217074419
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Listeners will be entranced by the melodic and articulate voice of narrator Angel Pean as she recounts the miserable upbringing, rewarding career, and personal relationships of Lorena Hickok, who was known by many as "Hick." This audiobook reveals not only Hick's ambition for excellence in her writing and journalism career but also the love and admiration she shared with First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. After they met, Roosevelt continued to lean on and confide in Hick throughout her husband's path to Washington and, eventually, the White House. It became a romance like no other, especially in the 1930s and '40s, when FDR made major decisions that changed the trajectory of the U.S. forever. Pean delivers a true narrative of an accomplished and passionate individual.
(Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: May 27, 2025
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217069750
Publisher: Listening Library
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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