Cassandra Campbell successfully negotiates one of the trickier aspects of narrating autobiography: creating a personal connection between author and listener while remaining almost invisible. In her revealing memoir, Cat Cora recounts her rise in the culinary world as well as her experiences of growing up gay in Mississippi. She also tells of her struggle to balance her personal life with her professional ambition and her ongoing hope to move past the nightmare of childhood abuse. Campbell uses a subtle Southern accent to help anchor Cora's background but wisely refrains from attempting impressions. Her performance imparts a satisfying emotional level, projecting sadness without becoming morose and highlighting the author's successes without going over the top. Campbell's nonjudgmental and respectful narration allows the chef's voice and personality to take center stage. C.B.L.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2015
Duration: 8 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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