Charles Person is the lone survivor of the 1961 Freedom Rides-- perilous integrated bus journeys from Washington, DC, through the Deep South that were one of the pivotal tactics of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Narrator Landon Woodson does a masterful job delivering Person's audiobook--which is both Person's own coming-of-age story and the story of a nation trying to reckon with racism. Woodson's tone and cadence have listeners feeling as though they are accompanying the Freedom Riders, who included future Congressman John Lewis. Woodson also is empathetic in recounting details of Person's youth--being raised in poverty, struggling to pay for school, and facing down racists intent on harming him--or worse. This important audiobook is shared exquisitely by Woodson.
Pub Date: April 27, 2021
Duration: 10 hrs
DD ISBN: 9781250789921
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
In this fascinating coming-of-age portrait, Thomas Black Bull's journey from the child, Bear's Brother, to the fearsome rodeo rider, Killer Tom Black, is painted with compassion and insight. Forced to learn the White Man's ways, Tom reaches adulthood consumed by rage. Read with great vigor by Norman Dietz, the recording bursts with the energy of rodeo circuit and transports the listener to the southwest. The accurate portrayal of Tom's Ute ancestry and way of life, the sorrow and frustration of losing his heritage, and his angry retaliation at the world make this an excellent listening choice for adults and teenagers. It would also be a wonderful addition to high school units on the Native American experience.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 10 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
George S. Irving adopts Patrick McManus's characters with gusto. Sit back and listen to yarn after yarn. Irving relishes each story, whether it's fishing stories, such as "Claw of the Sea-Puss" or "To Filet or Not to Filet," or the escapades with McManus's wary but vulnerable neighbors. Irving has the jocular chuckle down pat, and the low comedy satire comes off without a hitch. Listeners can imagine Irving tipping back a chair at the country store swapping lies with cronies and entertaining any comers with these hilarious tales. His repertoire of more than eight collections of McManus stories encourages this kind of ownership!
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: DH Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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