To hear this powerful story read by the woman who lived it is a life-changing experience. Ali survived civil war and mutilation to become an international spokeswoman for Islamic reform, especially with respect to women's rights. Her escape from Saudi Arabia and Somalia to the free-thinking Netherlands is stark in its incomprehensible contrasts and sometimes darkly amusing in its misunderstandings of cultural differences. Ali earned a political science degree and became the first Muslim member of the Dutch parliament. She worked with Theo Van Gogh on the film SUBMISSION before he was assassinated by a fanatical Muslim terrorist who objected to the film. Ali's thick accent makes some words unintelligible, but her acuity and vigor counterbalance this to make the listener all the more in awe of her.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2007
Duration: 17 hrs
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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