Narrator Karen Chilton draws listeners into the life story of an African-American man of wealth who enjoyed fine Washington dinner parties but eventually was restricted to segregated lunch and locker facilities at his workplace. Daniel Murray (1861-1925) reached the position of assistant librarian at the Library of Congress, only to be demoted as conditions deteriorated for African-Americans. His story shows both the success that was possible for some black people in the late nineteenth century and the indignities they faced as Jim Crow laws took hold. Chilton honors both Murray's dramatic personal story and the many aspects of black history that Elizabeth Dowling Taylor recounts through the prism of his story. Taylor's writing and research reveal little-known details of our history still relevant a century later.
Pub Date: Jan. 22, 2018
Duration: 16 hrs, 45 mins
DD ISBN: 9781501986581
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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