The Wilsons, a missionary couple from the U.S. South, lived in West Africa before the Civil War. As delivered by Mirron Willis, their story becomes something like a lively university lecture. The couple's actual lives are not as interesting as the historical period they were part of. The debate over freeing American slaves and the formation of Liberia as a refuge for them takes precedent. How a dictionary shaped an African language, African beliefs about faith, and the effects of the Liberia colony on the people who already lived within its borders also are emphasized. This is an an area of history that may be new to many listeners.
Pub Date: Oct. 8, 2013
Duration: 17 hrs, 30 mins
Publisher: Blackstone 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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