Narrator Rose Akroyd's calm, measured voice provides a lifeline to listeners in this deeply moving memoir. Framed as a recounting of the author's training in forensic anthropology, the audiobook also looks at state violence in Guatemala and Argentina and the way exhumation and the identification of bodies can bring peace--or more questions--to families. Akroyd channels Hagerty's ambivalence toward the tasks she undertakes--from pulling bones from a subterranean well to absorbing the testimonials of victims' loved ones. Hagerty's caring attitude for people both living and dead is made plain, as is the toll of that care: unexplained rashes, headaches, disturbing dreams, and occasional hallucinations. Akroyd's clear, precise diction and immaculate Spanish accent guide listeners through complicated descriptions of decades of conflict.
Pub Date: March 14, 2023
Duration: 8 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780593668023
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Dr. Plotkin is an ethnobotanist who recounts his experiences searching for new medications in the Amazon rain forest. He makes an impassioned plea for the world to stop destroying this irreplaceable resource. Since the author reads his own work, we can rely on the pronunciation of some unusual botanical terms; however, his voice (presumably not trained for performance) lacks the enthusiasm and fascination the words suggest. Furthermore, with no chapter references and few pauses between sections, transitions, such as the change of location from Ecuador to Massachusetts, are awkward.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The prose and Athavale’s expertly restrained performance meld gracefully in this flawless audiobook.
Narrator Vidish Athavale's voice is softly indelible, like the snow that blankets the Himalayan landscape the author so beautifully describes. An Indian wildlife biologist, Suryawanshi has spent decades studying snow leopards and their ecosystem among the planet's highest mountain peaks. What differentiates the author's scientific work, and his enthralling narrative, is his goal to understand and protect rather than conquer. The author also achieves a near-perfect balance between insightful and entertaining personal observations of remote communities (both animal and human); his own growth as a scientist, husband, and father; and the difficult and dangerous scientific work he and his colleagues have undertaken.
The prose and Athavale’s expertly restrained performance meld gracefully in this flawless audiobook.Pub Date: Aug. 25, 2026
Duration: 10 hrs, 9 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217336845
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: Oct. 5, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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