Narrator Laural Merlington provides listeners with an account of the privileged life of Susan Mary Alsop, a descendant of John Jay, the first chief justice of the United States. She artfully sketches the rise of this influential hostess from her early beginnings as the young wife of William Patten, a career diplomat in Paris, to her later days as the wife of political columnist Joseph Alsop. Washington's political elite, including John F. Kennedy, spent time in her Georgetown home. Merlington's straightforward delivery and cultured voice elegantly relay vignette after vignette of life in a charmed period of history. She handles the snippets of dialogue that are sprinkled throughout with aplomb.
Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2012
Duration: 6 hrs
Publisher: Tantor Media
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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