Eleanor, not yet 18, falls for Aaron, a 28-year-old man who, unbeknownst to her, is a paranoid schizophrenic. Narrator Karissa Vacker gives a fine performance of their life before his mental illness and during it. Vacker's skillful portrayals of Aaron's psychotic episodes are believable and heartbreaking. He imagines he is full of parasites that are eating him from the inside. He also breaks out in hives. Vacker's well-paced delivery becomes frenetic and shrill as they follow every possible avenue to identify these parasites. Listeners know these are delusions, but Eleanor is hopeful that there really is a physical problem that can be medicated. Vacker's insightful presentation introduces listeners to this debilitating disease and its effects on marriage and family.
Pub Date: Aug. 10, 2021
Duration: 12 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781250804723
Publisher: Macmillan 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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