Anelise Chen narrates her memoir quietly--as if depicting the timidity that led to her reclusiveness after her divorce. She dubs herself "Clam," a name suggested by her mother's oft-sent misspelled texts to "clam down" when she was in a high emotional state. These texts launch Chen's discoveries of truths about herself. Led by serendipity, reading, introspection, and insights, she learns to better understand her relationship with her father, as well as her connection to actual clams in the context of history, literature, art, and science. Chen deftly delivers the various narrative forms woven into the audiobook, which distinguish the first and third person, memoir and clam narratives, and personal reactions and those of her father. Playing this audio at a slower speed allows for better contemplation of this work.
Pub Date: June 3, 2025
Duration: 9 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217073481
Publisher: Random House Audio
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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