In this memoir, the author's life is more interesting than his narration. In his early years, Dan-el Padilla Peralta's unemployed mother struggles to care for him and his brother in the Dominican Republic. When he gets to the U.S., an interested teacher aids the inquisitive boy in gaining the advantages he deserves. As he ages, Peralta faces struggles with poverty and enticements by gangs, and his undocumented status threatens to thwart all his hard work and keep him from entering Princeton. Though Peralta occasionally delivers moving emotive scenes, too often his pronunciations lack crispness, and his rushed pace provides no sense of rhythm. Nonetheless, Peralta's struggles and eventual success will hold listeners' attention.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2015
Duration: 8 hrs
Publisher: Audible, 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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