Author/narrator Claudia Renton presents the parlors, penchants, and peccadillos of the outrageously rich Wyndham family and their fellow aristocrats, politicians, and power brokers in late-Victorian and Edwardian England. With genteel accents appropriate to the period, Renton delivers lyrical descriptions of the beautiful and charming Wyndham sisters, Mary, Madeline, and Pamela. While the period conjures the Crawley sisters of "Downton Abbey," these were real women who exerted impressive influence on the men in their lives. In addition to powerful male relatives and prominent lovers, some of Britain's most notable statesmen, writers, and artists sought the sisters' company. Renton delivers a fine narration of her precisely wrought portraits of the Wyndhams as the Great War looms, precipitating the social upheaval that ended their grand lifestyle.
Pub Date: June 5, 2018
Duration: 15 hrs
DD ISBN: 9780525635093
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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