Carmen Maria Machado's memoir of psychological abuse by a former girlfriend dissects their relationship from many perspectives, each described within the framework of a highly original metaphor (all of which the author claims are not metaphors). As she opens the doors on her experience, Machado's voice is soft and steady, simultaneously vulnerable and assured. Acclaimed for her masterful short stories, Machado and her then-girlfriend, referred to throughout as "the Woman from the Dream House," met during the author's studies at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. She breaks through the "archival silence" of women's accounts of abuse, particularly between queer women, by recording the insidious unraveling of her own relationship. Machado's sense-making framework alternates the use of fairy-tale storytelling, movies, and other elements with the heady emotional terrain of events from their first meeting onward.
Pub Date: Dec. 19, 2019
Duration: 5 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781684572793
Publisher: HighBridge 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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