Listeners will hear the admiration in television writer Bess Kalb's voice as she expresses the determined spirit of her beloved grandmother, Bobby Bell, with whom she shared a special bond. As Kalb recounts their many conversations, listeners will come to share in her pride in her grandmother's wise counsel. Kalb's narration flows from one anecdote to another, allowing listeners to piece together Bobby's history, and that of Bobby's mother, father, and other relatives, who emigrated to America from Russia. While Kalb does not attempt to imitate the voices of her relations, she creates vivid characterizations with slight shifts in intonation and pitch. Bobby's remembrances do not shy away from the enormous difficulties of those times, which will bring comfort to listeners facing today's struggles.
Pub Date: 2020
Duration: 4 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593169711
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:
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:
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Dove Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
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