Born in the Mississippi Delta in the mid-1940’s, this African-American writer grew up on stories about a different life up North. Taulbert left for St. Louis and the good life right after high school. Life was different all right, especially with both the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War escalating. James reads three speech patterns brilliantly. At first, his interpretation of young Clifton sounds generic. As the story unfolds, Clifton explains how he intentionally shed his Delta dialect. When Taulbert returns home for his first visit, the listener realizes how well James distinguishes the speech patterns and dialects of Southern blacks, Northern blacks and non-blacks of both regions.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 1994
Duration: 5 hrs
Publisher: Recorded Books Inc.
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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