It’s easy to see why this title has become such a popular choice with the book group set. This is an immensely powerful story. Reader Lisette Lecat is nothing short of a marvel. She brings to bear a wonderful depth and dimension through the use of multiple accents, including Pidgin English, and a gusty delivery of the author’s childhood singing. Her beautiful tonal quality and talented performance illuminate an unblinking, unsentimental look at the end of colonialism in Rhodesia, and at many other locations around Africa--as a tough, loving, and seriously dysfunctional family tries desperately to farm and, yes, keep things under white rule. The author falls in love with Africa at the age of 2, and the slow, tragic decline of her family is mirrored in the chaos and poverty of this magnificent land. The miracle here is the voice of a child who retains her independence and level-headed practicality throughout.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2002
Duration: 10 hrs, 15 mins
DD ISBN: 9781449883690
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
James Michener tells the real stories behind the man and his books. The recording is read with skill and consistency although the reader does little to enhance the robust, larger-than-life incidents related in the book. Due to the first-person narrative format, there is no opportunity for the narrator to change his voice. This makes some chapters monotonous as they go on and on in the typical Michener style. The listener may also become confused because the stories are not told chronologically. This is not a great choice for the audio format, but Michener fans may stick with it to the end.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 22 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In a quest for a sense of inner contentment and self-worth, Gloria Steinem brings the reader on a journey of investigation and discovery. Steinem reads the text herself in a straightforward and friendly, but not intimate, presentation which is so easy to listen to it invites repetition--thus ensuring the painless relearning of the lessons of the book. It's difficult to tell from the reading that this audiobook is abridged; each section can stand alone. Nonetheless, the listener wished the book were unabridged. Steinem left me wanting to learn more.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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