The 1911 fire was terrible, killing 146 people, but there's much more to the story. The author covers, and Barrett Whitener delivers, a history of the Garment Workers' Union, the cutthroat clothing industry, the waves of immigrants who assured the factory owners a constant supply of cheap labor, and the politicians who either supported or ignored the women who pleaded with them for shorter hours and better conditions. With gravity and sympathy, Whitener brings back to life the victims and activists, as well as the tenements and factory conditions that made the tragedy inevitable. Despite the length and reportorial nature of the text, a steady pace and faultless diction carry the listener to the end. J.B.G.
(c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2003
Duration: 12 hrs
Publisher: Books on Tape
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
The readers can't compensate for the unbearably pompous prose style of this extended parable about corporate politics and strategy.
Pub Date: N/A
Duration: 3 hrs
Publisher: Random House Audio
Review Posted Online: Jan. 22, 2026
Henslee’s warm, unhurried narration makes listeners feel like the next success story could be theirs.
Barbara Henslee narrates with an intimate, upbeat delivery and a sunny Southern warmth that feels like being personally recruited to the Mary Kay empire. Her voice suits the material perfectly, drawing listeners into a bygone era when women built empires through gatherings around kitchen tables and on front porches, long before they could open their own bank accounts. Henslee never oversells, just gently persuades, mirroring the company’s own quiet pitch to millions of women that economic independence and personal transformation were within reach. The balanced treatment of the realities of multilevel marketing, alongside the truly inspirational story of founder Mary Kay Ash, make this a compelling listen for anyone curious about the often mocked world of direct sales.
Henslee’s warm, unhurried narration makes listeners feel like the next success story could be theirs.Pub Date: April 28, 2026
Duration: 14 hrs, 24 mins
DD ISBN: 9798217281879
Publisher: Penguin Audio
Review Posted Online: June 9, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2026
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
