Quyen Ngo immerses listeners in this dual memoir whose chapters alternate between a father and daughter. Nghia M. Vo delves into the period when he fled Vietnam by boat to take refuge in the U.S. after the fall of Saigon in 1975. Decades later, his adult daughter, Christina, who was raised in the U.S. and longs to learn about their family's homeland, travels to Vietnam. Ngo seamlessly transports listeners between the differing time periods and locations and fluidly pronounces Vietnamese names and places. With her warm delivery, she moves listeners and captures the story's poignant themes of loss, yearning for belonging, and searching for identity. A thought-provoking listening experience on the Vietnamese diaspora and the intergenerational immigrant experience.
Pub Date: June 11, 2024
Duration: 9 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798892741460
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
This wide-ranging collection of Bourdain's work is a mixed success.
Legendary chef and world traveler Bourdain was an aspiring creative long before his rise to fame. This collection spans his works from as early as high school to his later writings, with which listeners will be more familiar. Editor Kimberly Witherspoon sets the tone with her introduction. Dion Graham, David Colacci, Kaleo Griffith, and Chris Patton round out the cast, along with archival recordings of Bourdain himself. Reading his own work, Bourdain is indubitably the standout, bringing to life his trademark approach to food and travel. The rest of the collection is uneven both in content and in narration; some early pieces, both fiction and nonfiction, are unpolished in their writing and overemoted in their narration.
This wide-ranging collection of Bourdain's work is a mixed success.Pub Date: June 30, 2026
Duration: 13 hrs, 26 mins
DD ISBN: 9780062863980
Publisher: Harper Audio
Review Posted Online: Aug. 18, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2026
A splendid narration of an engrossing story of the search for, and discovery of, a lost treasure.
Vikas Adam’s strong baritone is a good match for this well-told account of one man’s obsession with finding a lost Spanish galleon filled with treasure. In 1708, the San José sank in combat with the British off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia. Roger Dooley, whose own story is quite fascinating, sought the wreck of this ship over nearly four decades and then, in 2015, finally found it at a depth of nearly 2,000 feet. Lawsuits regarding who gets to keep the fortune are still ongoing. Adam narrates with great confidence and with excellent expression throughout. His pacing is perfect, and he ably reads Spanish.
A splendid narration of an engrossing story of the search for, and discovery of, a lost treasure.Pub Date: Jan. 27, 2026
Duration: 12 hrs
DD ISBN: 9798217165810
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: April 21, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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