The author of this in-depth biography of the legendary Native American athlete Jim Thorpe narrates the text earnestly but flatly. It's too bad because, while this is a long listen, Maraniss reveals the mythology and pure fiction relating to the oft-called "greatest athlete in the world." Thorpe, who described himself as five-eighths Indian, won the decathlon and pentathlon in the 1912 Olympics in Sweden. The finest football player of his time, he played both professional football and baseball. His roller-coaster life was marked by scandal when his medals were taken away because he had been paid to play semipro baseball. The injustice haunted him. He was surely flawed--thrice married, an absent father, prone to drink--but always a staunch partisan of Native American issues. A.D.M © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Aug. 9, 2022
Duration: 23 hrs, 30 mins
DD ISBN: 9781442387959
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Panettiere’s performance captures her memoir’s honesty, vulnerability, and emotional intensity.
In her signature slightly husky voice, Panettiere narrates her journey from child actor in more than 50 commercials to fame on Heroes and Nashville and to life as a mother, domestic abuse survivor, recovered addict, and grieving sister. Her voice wavers when recalling loss, and she sounds small when she describes auditioning at age 5 under the guidance of her demanding mother, herself a former actor. Panettiere warmly reflects on the gifts acting gave her, from working with revered stars to filming abroad and her advocacy for animal welfare. She makes a shark encounter sound thrilling, and she uses a playful accent for her Ukrainian ex-fiancé, professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko, relaying his fights with fast-paced excitement.
Panettiere’s performance captures her memoir’s honesty, vulnerability, and emotional intensity.Pub Date: May 19, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 47 mins
DD ISBN: 9781668655627
Publisher: Hachette Audio
Review Posted Online: June 23, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2026
An essential listen for Sondheim enthusiasts.
For those who know Sondheim best as the lyricist of Broadway giants such as Gypsy and West Side Story, this extremely well-researched, rather concise audiobook will enlighten and inform. Author Okrent’s boundless enthusiasm is clear in his performance as he discusses Sondheim’s personal and professional journey. Sondheim, who passed in 2021, was an intensely private man, but fans of Company, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, and more of Sondheim's work will appreciate that Okrent was able to mine previously unexamined archives and other resources.
An essential listen for Sondheim enthusiasts.Pub Date: May 16, 2026
Duration: 8 hrs, 21 mins
DD ISBN: 9798228745124
Publisher: Blackstone Audio
Review Posted Online: April 28, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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