Author Casey Parks narrates her blend of memoir and historical investigation with a journalist's precision, but the emotion that creeps into her voice reveals just how personal her story is. Parks spent almost 20 years researching Roy, a transgender man who lived in the same Southern town as her grandmother. As she interviews residents about his life, trying to piece together his story, she shares her own story of growing up queer in Louisiana and navigating a complicated relationship with her mother. The book drags at times, but Parks's brisk narration will keep listeners engaged. She lets everything she felt while working on the story--frustration, curiosity, sadness, excitement--come through in her voice, and it adds a welcome depth to the audiobook.
Pub Date: Aug. 30, 2022
Duration: 14 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9780593591536
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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